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UNIVERSITY    OF   ILLINOIS    STUDIES 

IN  THE 

SOCIAL   SCIENCES 


Vol.  XIV 


June,  1927 


OCT  pp 


THE   GEONOMIC   ASPECTS   OF^  ^^^^^^^^ 
THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY 


By 

BESSIE  L.  ASHTON 


^^^^  illi. 


"'^''■^nn. 


PRICE  $1.00 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 

[Entered  as  second-class  matter,  July  27,  1915,  at  the  post  ofBce  at  Urbana,  Illinois, 
under  the  Act  of  August  24,  1912.  Acceptance  for  mailing  at  the  special  rate  of  post- 
age provided  for  in  section  1103,  Act  of  October  3,  1917,  authorized  July  31,  1918.] 

(Copyright,   1927,  by  The  University  of  Illinois) 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS  STUDIES  IN  THE  SOCIAL  SQENCES 

Vol.    I,    191 2 

Nos.  1  and  2.  Financial  historj'^  of  Ohio.    By  E.  L.  Bogart.   $1.80. 
No.  3.  Sources  of  municipal  revenues  in  Illinois.    By  L.  D.  Upson.* 
No.  4.  Friedrich    Gentz:    an   opponent  of  the   French   Revolution   and   Napoleon.    By 
P.  E.  Reiff.    80  cents. 

Vol.  II,  1913 

No.  I.  Taxation  of  corporations  in  Illinois,  other  than  railroads,  since  1872.    By  J.  R. 

Moore.    55  cents. 
Nos.  2  and  3.  The  West  in  the  diplomatic  negotiations  of  the  American  Revolution.    By 

P.  C.  Phillips.* 
No.  4.  The  development  of  banking  in  Illinois,  1817-1863.   By  G.  W.  Dowrie.* 

Vol.  Ill,  1914 

Nos.  1  and  2.  The  history  of  the  general  property  tax  in  Illinois.   By  R.  M.  Haig.   $1.25. 
No.  3.  The  Scandinavian  element  in  the  United  States.    By  K.  C.  Babcock.* 
No.  4.  Church  and  State  In  Massachusetts,  1691-1740.   By  Susan  M.  Reed.* 

Vol.  IV,  191s 
No.  1.  The  Illinois  Whigs  before  1846.   By  C.  M.  Thompson.* 
No.  2.  The  defeat  of  Varus  and  the  German  frontier  policy  of  Augustus.    By  W.  A. 

Oldfather  and  H.  V.  Canter.* 
Nos.  3  and  4.  The  history  of  the  Illinois  Central  railroad  to  1870.    By  H.  G.  Brownson.* 

Vol.  V,  1916 
No.  I.  The   enforcement   of   international    law   through    municipal    lav/   In    the   United 

States.    By  Philip  Quincy  Wright.* 
No.  2.  The  life  of  Jesse  W.  Fell.   By  Frances  M.  Morehouse.   60  cents. 
No.  3.  Land  tenure  in  the  United  States  with  special  reference  to  Illinois.    Ey  Charles 

L.  Stewart.* 
No.  4.  Mine  taxation  In  the  United  States.    By  L.  E.  Young.   $1.50. 

Vol.  VI,  1917 
Nos.  1  and  2.  The  veto  power  of  the  governor  of  Illinois.    By  Niels  H.  Debel.    ^1.00. 
No.  3.  Wage  bargaining  on  the  vessels  of  the  Great  Lakes.    By  H.  E.  Hoagland.   $1.50. 
No.  4.  The  household  of  a  Tudor  nobleman.    By  P.  V.  B.  Jones.    $1.50. 

Vol.  VII,  1918 
Nos.  I  and  2.  Legislative  regulation  of  railway  finance  in  England.    By  C.  C.  Wang.* 
No.  3.  The  American  municipal  executive.    By  R.  M.  Story.* 

No.  4.  The  Journeymen  Tailors'   Union   of  America.    A  study  in   trade   union   policy. 
By  Charles  J.  Stowell.* 

Vol.  VIII,  1919 
No.  I.  Co-operative  and  other  organized  methods  of  marketing  California  horticultural 

products.    By  J.  W.  Lloyd.* 
No.  2.  Cumulative   voting   and   minority   representation   In   Illinois.    By   B.   F.   Moore. 

Revised  edition.* 
Nos.  3  and  4.  Labor  problems  and  labor  administration  in  the  United  States  during  the 

World  War.    By  Gordon  Watklns.* 

Vol.  IX,  1920 
Nos.  I  and  2.  War  powers  of  the  executive  In  the  United  States.    By  C.  A.  Berdahl.* 
No.  3.  English  government  finance,  1485-1558.   By  C.  F.  Dietz.* 
No.  4.  The  economic  policies  of  Richelieu.    By  F.  C.  Palm.   ^1.50. 

*Out  of  print. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS  STUDIES 

IN  THE 

SOCIAL  SCIENCES 

Vol.  XIV  June,  1926  No.  2 


Board  of  Editors 

Ernest  L.  Bogart  John  A.  Fairlie 

Albert  H.  Lybyer 


Published  by  the  University  of  Illinois 

Under  the  Auspices  of  the  Graduate  School 

Urbana,  Illinois 


Copyright,  1927 
By  the  University  of  Illinois 


C.ourt,-sy   oj  the   Ul'inob  Agricultural  Experiment    Station.    I'rhana 


Relief  Map  of  Illinois 


THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE 
ILLINOIS  WATERWAY 


By 

Bessie  L.  Ashton,  Ph.D. 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  UNIVERSITk'  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


^^-    ^^   PREFACE  "  'T 

With  such  a  mass  of  literature  as  there  is  dealing  with  the 
improvement  and  utilization  of  waterways  another  contribution 
on  the  same  subject  may  seem  superfluous,  but  it  is  the  opinion 
of  the  writer  that  much  that  has  been  written  and  said  has  been 
based  more  on  fancy  than  on  fact  and  that  the  subject  is  of  suffi- 
cient importance  to  warrant  serious  study. 

In  the  early  days  of  American  history  the  waterways  were  of 
immeasurable  importance  in  allowing  penetration  of  settlers  into 
the  country.  For  a  half  century  the  steamboat  held  sway  over  the 
great  interior  territory,  but  gradually  the  encroachments  of  its  "^ 
rival,  the  railroad,  began  to  be  felt.  Thus  began  the  contest  for 
traffic  between  the  steamboat  and  the  railroad,  a  contest  that  be- 
came increasingly  unequal  as  the  territory  farther  to  the  north 
and  west  was  taken  up.  This  inequality  was  made  inevitable  by 
the  geography  of  the  country.  In  a  forested  region  of  many  streams 
and  well  distributed  rainfall,  giving  to  the  rivers  a  deep  and  reg- 
ular flow,  the  chances  are  more  equally  divided,  but  here  the 
fertile  prairies  farther  and  farther  from  the  natural  waterways 
invited  occupation,  and,  as  this  land  was  taken  up  the  railroad 
became  more  and  more  an  essential  factor  of  economic  life.  In 
fact,  after  the  Mississippi  was  passed  by  this  moving  tide  of 
humanity,  the  railroad  itself  became  the  pioneer,  and,  in  turn 
became  dependent  on  settlement  for  its  existence.  In  this  respect 
it  was  successful,  for  in  the  great  treeless  plains  of  central  United 
States  the  streams  are  relatively  few  and  far  apart,  their  water 
supply  is  limited  and  uncertain,  and  their  flow  very  irregular. 
They  carry  much  sediment,  for  the  material  through  which  they 
flow  is  easily  eroded,  a  fact  which,  together  with  great  fluctuations 
in  volume,  offers  discouragements  to  navigation  not  met  with  in 
like  degree  in  sections  farther  east. 

This  struggle  between  the  steamboat  and  the  railroad,  in- 
augurated by  geographic  conditions  and  intensified  by  economic 
developments  through  the  succeeding  decades,  is  still  in  progress. 
Though  odds  are  against  the  former,  it  "dies  hard,"  and  there  are 
many  of  its  friends  who  hope  still  to  revive  it.  Beginning  with  the 
economic  losses   ascribed  to   railroad   traffic   congestion  in    1906, 


spurred  on  by  the  vigorous  campaign  conducted  by  Theodore 
Roosevelt  during  his  presidency,  and  stimulated  by  the  needs  of 
war  days,  the  waterway  development  agitation  has  spread  over 
the  country.  There  are  about  thirty  waterway  associations  in  the 
United  States,  all  interested  in  particular  projects  for  waterway 
development,  except  one, — the  National  Rivers  and  Harbors  Con- 
gress, made  up  of  members  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  which 
announces  "a  policy  not  a  project,"  that  policy  being  to  induce  the 
Federal  Government  to  expend  annually  ^50,000,000  on  systematic 
waterway  development. 

One  of  these  projects  is  concerned  with  the  Illinois  Waterway, 
which  has  been  discussed  for  twenty  years  as  an  essential  part  of 
the  Lakes-to-the-Gulf  Waterway,  and  the  adoption  of  v/hich  has 
been  sanctioned  three  times  by  the  vote  of  the  people  of  Illinois.^ 
The  Declaration  of  Principles  of  the  National  Rivers  and  Harbors 
Congress  contains  the  following  statement:  "The  improvement 
of  waterways  cannot  be  justified  merely  on  the  ground  that  rail 
rates  have  been  thereby  reduced  between  water  competitive  points, 
but  the  establishment  of  water  borne  commerce  commensurate 
with  the  cost  of  the  improvement  must  be  a  controlling  factor  in 
Federal  appropriations  for  waterway  development."  It  is  the 
opinion  of  the  writer  that  the  same  principle  should  apply  to 
State  expenditures,  that  is,  that  commensurate  benefits  should 
accrue  thereby  to  those  bearing  the  expense  of  development.  With 
this  in  mind  the  present  study  has  been  made,  entirely  without 
prejudice,  but  with  genuine  endeavor  to  discover  and  weigh  the 
facts  of  the  case.  Because  of  their  previous  importance  and  of  the 
fact  that  their  evolution  from  one  stage  to  the  other  illustrates 
principles  that  are  generally  operative  on  such  waterways,  the 
historic  aspects  of  the  case  have  been  thought  worthy  of  consid- 
erable attention.  As  these  principles  are  based  on  both  physical 
and  economic  factors,  both  are  pertinent  subjects  for  consideration. 
The  term  "geonomic"  has  been  used  in  this  treatise  in  the  sense 
of  economic  and  geographic,  that  is,  the  aspects  pertaining  to  the 
economic  geography  of  the  waterway. 

Acknowledgments  are  due  to  the  many  individuals  who  have 
so  kindly  contributed  by  word  or  deed  to  the  collection  of  informa- 


^Once  at  general  election  by  all  voters   (1908),  and  twice  by  the  General 
Assembly  (1915  and  1919). 


tion  necessary  for  the  proposed  solution  of  this  problem.  Without 
the  many  letters  containing  data  impossible  to  secure  elsewhere  the 
result  would  have  been  quite  unsatisfactory.  Especial  recognition 
and  thanks  are  given  to  Professor  W.  0.  Blanchard  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Illinois  for  helpful  suggestions  during  the  beginning  of  the 
work,  and  to  Professor  R.  H.  Whitbeck  of  the  University  of  Wis- 
consin, whose  valuable  advice  has  made  its  completion  possible. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  History    and    Characteristics    of    the    Present 

Waterway 13 

The  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal 15 

The  Sanitary  Ship  Canal 23 

Chicago  River 25 

The  Illinois  and  Mississippi  Canal 29 

II.  The  New  Illinois  River  Project 32 

Connected  Waterways 34 

III.  The  Cargo  Carrier 37 

IV.  Terminals 41 

Terminals  Along  the  Illinois  Waterway     ...  48 

Chicago  Terminals 50 

V.  Land  Transportation  Facilities 62 

The  Railroad  Situation 62 

Terminal  Congestion  and  the  Motor  Truck    .      .  67 

Motor  Trucks  and  the  Short  Haul 69 

Illinois  Traffic        71 

Facilities  for  Transportation  in  Illinois  ....  73 

Service  of  the  Railroads         79 

VI.  The  Potential  Traffic 86 

Coal 89 

Mineral  Construction  Materials 108 

Grain 114 

Livestock 119 

Lumber 121 

Imports 126 

Manufactured  Articles 128 

VII.  Transportation  Companies 130 

The  Federal  Barge  Line 130 

Other  Transportation  Companies 137 


VIII.  The  Value  of  the  Waterway 14^ 

To  Relieve  the  Railroad  Burden 142 

To  Offer  a  Cheaper  Transportation  Route   .      .      .145 

To  Reduce  Railroad  Rates i47 

To  Furnish  Water  Power .150 

Conclusion '54 

Bibliography ^5° 


LIST  OF  PLATES 

PLATES  PAGE 

Frontispiece.     Relief  Map  of  Illinois 3 

Figure  i.  Illinois  Waterways 14 

Figure    2.  Corn  Receipts  and  Lumber  Shipments  at  Chicago    ....  21 

Figure    3.  Chicago-Des  Plaines  Waterways 26 

Figure    4.  Chicago   Waterways 52 

Figure    5.  Railroads  of  Metropolitan  Chicago 56 

Figure    6.  Freight  Car  Surplus  and  Shortage  in  the  United  States     .      .  64 

Figure    7.  Railway  Mileage  in  the  United  States 64 

Figure    8.  Illinois  Railroads 75 

Figure    9.  Identification  Map  of  Illinois  Counties 77 

Figure  10,  Coal  Production  in  Illinois  and  in  Franklin  and  Williamson 

Counties 92 

Figure.  II.  Coal  Fields  of  Illinois 93 

Figure  12.  Lake  Shipments  of  Wheat  from  Chicago 118 


LIST  OF  TABLES 

PAGE 

I.  Tonnage  Carried  on  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal     ....  18 

11.  Traffic  on  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal,  Calendar  Year  1923      .  23 

III.  Lake  Commerce  at  Chicago 53 

IV.  Number  of  Tons  Carried  One  Mile  by  Railroads  in  United  States     .  63 
V.   Railway  Mileage  of  Illinois 74 

VI.  Production  of  Coal  in  Illinois,  by  Months 88 

VII.  Production  of  Coal  in  Illinois,  by  Counties,  1925 IC4 

VIII.  Exports  of  Wheat  from  New  Orleans 116 

IX.  Shipments  of  Wheat  from  St.  Louis 117 

X.  Receipts  and  Shipments  of  Livestock  at  St.  Louis,  1923   ....  121 
XI.  Lumber  Shipments  from  Pacific  to  Atlantic  Coast  Points  via  Pana- 
ma Canal 124 

XII.  Leading  Articles  Carried  by  the  Mississippi-Warrior  Service  on  the 

Mississippi  for  the  Fiscal  Year  1923 134 

XIII.  Tonnage  Handled  on  the  Mississippi  by  the  Federal  Barge  Line     .  135 

XIV.  Operating  Revenue  and  Expenses  of  the  Federal  Barge  Line  by 

Years 135 

XV,  Tonnage  Carried  on  the  Principal  Inland  Waterv^ays  of  Central 

United  States  in  1923 143 


CHAPTER  I 

HISTORY  AND  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE 
PRESENT  WATERWAY 

The  natural  conditions  of  the  lUinois  Waterway  route  have 
invited  development  since  white  men  first  entered  the  region.  The 
French  explorers  followed  the  Indians  with  their  birch  bark  canoes 
over  the  low  divide  at  high  water,  or  across  the  narrow  portage 
at  low  water  between  the  Lake  Michigan  and  Illinois  River  drain- 
age basins.  The  Des  Plaines  River,  coming  from  the  north,  flows 
about  ten  miles  west  of  the  lake  near  the  western  edge  of  Chicago 
to  about  latitude  41°  48'  N.,  where  it  bends  southwest  to  mingle 
its  waters  with  those  of  the  Kankakee  and  together  they  form  the 
Illinois  (Fig.  i).  Extending  eastward  from  the  bend  is  a  valley 
leading  to,  and  in  part  occupied  by,  the  upper  waters  of  the  West 
Fork  of  the  South  Branch  of  the  Chicago  River  by  means  of  which 
the  runoff  formerly  reached  Lake  Michigan.  The  bottom  of  this 
valley  lies  only  five  to  fifteen  feet  above  the  lake,  that  being  the 
outlet  utilized  and  scoured  out  by  the  water  collecting  in  the  lake 
basin  from  the  melting  ice  during  the  close  of  the  glacial  period.^ 

Offering  as  it  does  the  easiest  crossing  between  the  Missis- 
sippi system  and  the  lakes,  it  is  not  strange  that  the  idea  of  canal- 
ization of  the  route  received  early  attention.  When  Joliet  passed 
through  here  in  1674  he  remarked  on  the  relative  ease  with  which 
this  could  be  done,  and  Albert  Gallatin,  in  his  well  known  report 
in  1808,  gave  a  prominent  place  to  the  project.  The  first  impor- 
tant step  was  taken,  however,  with  the  admission  of  Illinois  to 
statehood  in  18 18,  when,  through  the  efforts  of  Hon.  Nathaniel 
Pope,  territorial  delegate  to  Congress,  the  clause  was  written  into 
the  constitution  by  which  the  northern  boundary  of  the  State  was 
placed  sixty-one  miles  farther  north  than  the  territorial  boundary 
had  been,  thus  including  within  the  new  state  the  site  of  Chicago 
and  the  entire  waterway  route.- 

'The  valley  through  the  divide  is  about  two  miles  v/ide  and  twenty  miles 
long. 

*Gov.  Charles  Deneen,  Special  Message  to  the  Illinois  General  Assembly, 
1911,  p.  3. 

13 


14  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY        [242 


Fig.  I.    Ilunois  Waterways 


243]  history  and  characteristics  15 

The  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal 

Though  agitation  for  a  waterway  connecting  the  Great  Lakes 
and  the  Mississippi  River  dates  from  the  time  of  the  War  of  1812, 
no  provision  was  made  for  using  the  route  for  this  purpose  until 
1822,  when  Congress  authorized  the  construction  of  a  ship  canal 
and  granted  to  the  State  a  strip  of  land  for  the  canal  and  ninety 
feet  additional  on  each  side.^  Preliminary  surveys  were  made  and 
a  company  was  incorporated,  but  they  were  unable  to  dispose  of 
their  stock.  Therefore  Congress  made  another  grant  of  land  con- 
sisting of  alternate  sections  in  a  strip  five  miles  wide  on  each  side 
of  the  canal  route,  equalling  altogether  some  325,000  acres.  Lack 
of  definite  and  adequate  surveys,  differences  of  opinion  as  to 
the  most  feasible  route,  financial  difficulties,  and  scarcity  of  labor 
all  contributed  to  delay,  so  that  the  actual  work  of  construction 
was  not  begun  until  1836.  From  this  time  until  the  work  was 
finished  in  1848  repeated  discouragements  faced  the  commission- 
ers. Many  of  the  men  employed  in  the  work  of  construction 
worked  only  during  the  warmer  months  and  returned  south  at  the 
beginning  of  winter.  Financial  difficulties  following  the  panic  of 
1839,  and  the  fact  that  the  work  of  construction  was  proving  to  be 
much  more  expensive  than  had  originally  been  expected,  combined 
to  put  a  stop  to  progress  in  1841. 

At  this  juncture  several  plans  were  suggested,  one  being  that 
the  canal  be  abandoned  and  a  railroad  be  built  in  its  stead,  the 
estimate  of  cost  being  somewhat  below  that  for  the  canal.*  To 
meet  this  suggestion  the  canal  commissioners  argued  that,  though 
railroads  were  admittedly  preferable  for  passengers,  canals  were 
better  for  promotion  of  manufacturing  and  agricultural  interests. 
Besides,  canals  were  open  to  use  by  all  and  could  not  be  used  as 
monopolies,  they  improve  with  use  while  railroads  need  constant 
repairs,  and  they  furnish  valuable  water  power  which  railroads 
do  not.  The  result  was  the  substitution  of  the  "shallow  cut"  plan 
on  the  summit  level  as  being  less  expensive  than  the  lake  fed  canal 
in  the  plan  as  originally  adopted.    To  provide  funds  with  which 

^Annual  Report  of  the  Illinois  Canal  Commissioners,  1900,  p.  269. 

*The  estimated  cost  of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Railway  from  Chicago  to 
the  foot  of  the  Rapids  (96  miles)  was  $1,052,499.19:  of  a  lake  fed  canal  between 
the  same  points,  $4,043, 186. 50;  and  of  a  summit  level  canal  ten  feet  above  the 
level  of  Lake  Michigan,  $1,601,695.83.    Ibid.,  pp.  99,  100,  103. 


l6  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE  ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [244 

to  continue  the  work  a  trust  was  created  and  bonds  to  the  amount 
of  ^i,6oo,oco  were  subscribed.  The  Board  of  Trustees  were  to 
hold  in  trust  for  the  bond  holders  all  properties  of  the  canal,  re- 
ceipts, tolls,  etc.,  until  such  time  as  all  indebtedness  against  the 
canal  should  be  removed,  when  said  canal  and  canal  property 
should  revert  to  the  State. 

According  to  this  arrangement  work  was  resumed  in  1845, 
and  the  canal  completed  in  1848  at  a  cost  of  $6,339,098.24.^  It  ex- 
tended from  the  South  Branch  of  the  Chicago  River  about  seven 
miles  in  a  direction  slightly  south  of  west  through  the  depression 
over  the  divide  to  the  valley  of  the  Des  Plaines  River,  then  along 
that  valley,  passing  through  the  Des  Plaines  River  at  Joliet,  and 
the  valley  of  the  Illinois  River  to  a  bend  in  the  latter  near  La  Salle, 
a  distance  of  97.24  miles.  The  width  was  sixty  feet  at  the  water 
level,  at  the  bottom  thirty-six  feet  in  earth  and  forty-eight  in  rock 
sections,  and  the  minimum  depth  of  water  was  six  feet.  There  were 
fifteen  locks  to  care  for  the  drop  of  142  feet,  each  being  no  feet 
long,  eighteen  feet  wide,  with  six  feet  of  water  over  the  miter  sills.® 
The  change  of  plan  made  necessary  a  pumping  plant  at  the  locks 
in  the  Chicago  River  at  Ashland  Avenue,  and  the  construction  of 
feeders,  as  it  placed  the  canal  eight  feet  above  the  datum  line  of 
Lake  Michigan  (low  water  of  1847).'' 

The  canal  connects  with  the  navigable  portion  of  the  Illinois 
River  at  La  Salle  below  which  the  river  occupies  an  alluvial  valley 
one  and  one-half  to  six  miles  in  width  through  which  it  flows  with 
a  sluggish  current  and  a  width  varying  from  600  feet  at  La  Salle 
to  1,400  feet  at  its  mouth.  At  low  water  the  fall  in  the  224  miles 
between  La  Salle  and  Grafton  was  originally  twenty-seven  and 
one-half  feet.®  Before  improvement  the  Illinois  was  navigable  by 
the  larger  Mississippi  River  boats  for  230  miles  from  its  mouth 
to  Utica  in  high  water  stages,  but  at  low  water  it  was  practically 
unnavigable  except  for  small  flat  bottomed  boats  drawing  less  than 
twenty  inches,  as  the  natural  discharge  of  500  cubic  feet  per  sec- 

'"Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal,  What  it  is  and  How  it  Might  be  Made  More 
Serviceable,"  Special  Report  of  Illinois  Canal  Commissiotiers,  1912,  p.  5. 

*J.  G.  Warren,  "Report  on  Investigation  of  Water  Diversion  from  the  Great 
Lakes  and  Niagara  River,"  in  Letter  from  Secretary  of  War,  1921,  p.  109. 

'L.  E.  Cooley,  "The  Lakes  and  Gulf  Waterway,"  in  Deep  Water  Way  De- 
bates before  the  46th  General  Assembly,  Springfield,  Illinois,  1909,  p.  312. 

^Annual  Report  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  1924,  I,  1448. 


245]  HISTORY  AND  CHARACTERISTICS  If 

ond  at  Utica  at  such  periods  was  Insufficient  to  maintain  an  open 
channel  suitable  for  river  navigation.^  To  remedy  this  condition 
the  State  built  dams  with  locks  75  feet  wide  and  350  feet  long  at 
Henry  (1872)  and  at  Copperas  Creek  (1877)  ^o  give  a  seven  foot 
channel  in  that  section,  and  in  1899  and  1903  the  United  States 
Government  built  dams  with  similar  locks  in  the  lower  Illinois  at 
La  Grange  and  Kampsvllle/"  respectively,  to  extend  the  seven 
foot  channel  to  the  Mississippi.  Prior  to  1895  there  was  a  period 
of  one  to  two  months  in  late  summer  and  early  fall  of  each  year 
when  traffic  was  suspended  on  account  of  low  water  in  the  Illinois 
River. ^^  The  dams,  together  with  the  increasing  flow  of  water  due 
to  diversion  of  water  from  Lake  Michigan  through  the  Sanitary 
Ship  Canal  since  1900  has  given  a  supply  in  the  river  in  recent 
years  ample  to  accommodate  any  boat  that  can  pass  through  the 
canal  locks.  Boats  of  125  tons  capacity  and  requiring  no  more 
than  eleven  feet  headroom  below  the  bridges  are  able  to  operate 
on  the  canal. ^^  The  season  of  navigation  is  about  eight  months, 
though  it  varies  somewhat  from  year  to  year.  The  average  for  the 
period  1848-1900  was  about  250  days. 

That  the  canal  was  a  very  important  factor  in  the  economic 
life  of  the  region  and  that  it  served  its  purpose  well  is  indicated 
by  the  traffic  figures  of  live  decades.  The  initial  trip  of  the  General 
Thornton  caused  great  rejoicing,  because  the  sugar  brought  by  it 
from  New  Orleans  and  reshipped  at  Chicago  reached  Buffalo  by 
lake  two  weeks  before  the  first  boat  reached  that  city  by  the  Erie 
Canal.  Through  many  prosperous  years  leading  to  the  elimina- 
tion of  the  total  indebtedness  in  1871  and  the  culmination  of  traffic 
in  1882,  the  trustees  and  commissioners  of  the  canal  had  reason 
to  be  satisfied  with  the  part  the  canal  was  playing  in  the  transpor- 
tation system.  It  was  of  inestimable  importance  in  pre-railroad 
days,  for  it  opened  up  the  markets  through  the  lakes  and  the  Erie 
Canal  and  increased  the  price  of  farm  products  to  the  western 

'"Survey  of  the  Illinois  River,"  House  Document  263,  59  Cong.,  i  sess.,  18, 

(1905)- 

"'"Diversion  of  Water  from  Lake  Michigan,"  Report  on  the  Sanitary  Dis- 
trict of  Chicago  by  District  Engineer,  1924,  p.  42. 

"Jnnual  Report  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  J.,  1919,  I,  1598. 

""Improvement  of  the  Illinois  and  Mississippi  Rivers  and  Diversion  of 
Water  from  Lake  Michigan,"  Hearings  before  the  Committee  on  Rivers  and  Har- 
bors, House  of  Representatives,  68  Cong.,  i  sess.,  127,   (1924). 


1 8              THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY  [246 

Table  I. — Tonnage  Carried  on  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal'^» 

1849 149,553         1880 751,360 

1850 142,234         1 88 1 826,133 

1 85 1 274,842         1882 1,011,287 

1852 352,463         1883 925,575 

1853 471,198          1884 956,721 

1854 ';2i,285          1885 827,355 

1855 528,857         1886 808,019 

1856 591,311          1887 742,074 

1857 620,172         1888 751,055 

1858 507,966         1889 917,047 

1859 399,357         1890 742,392 

i860 367,437         1 89 1 641,156 

1 861 547,295          1892 783,288 

1862 673,590         1893 529,816 

1863 619,599         1894 617,81 1 

1864 510,286         1895 591,507 

1865 616,140         1896 446,762 

1866 746,815         1897 484,575 

1867 746,815         1898 395,017 

1868 737,727         1 899 469,352 

1869 817,738         1900 121,759 

1870 585,970         1 90 1 81,456 

1871 628,975         1902 35,824 

1872 783,641          1903 62,894 

1 873 849,533         1904 47,616 

1874 712,020         1905 38,820 

1875 670,025         1906 35,480 

1876 691,943  

1877 605,912         1922 14,350 

1878 698,792         1923 9,047 

1879 669,559         1924 2,179 


farmer  as  well  as  reduced  the  price  of  merchandise  brought  in 
from  the  East.  Real  estate  values  increased  enormously  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  canal,  speculation  became  rife,  settlement  spread, 
and  cities  grew. 

Through  the  canal  came  lumber,  shingles,  posts,  staves,  and 
other  forest  products  from  the  pineries  of  Michigan  to  serve 
the  pioneers  of  the  rapidly  settled  prairies  of  Illinois,  Iowa,  and 
regions  as  far  as  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  for  farm  buildings,  fences, 
and  barrels  to  hold  the  produce  of  the  bountifully  yielding  soil. 
Agricultural  Implements,  made  in  Chicago,  were  distributed  like- 
wise, while  the  corn,  oats,  wheat,  wool,  and  other  farm  products 

""From  Report  of  Illinois  Canal  Commissioners,  1916,  pp.  26-28,  and  Re- 
port of  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  1925,  II,  963.  Figures  for  tonnage  on  the 
canal  since  1906  are  scattered  and  incomplete.  Those  for  years  1906-1915,  in- 
clusive, include  clearances  at  the  Henry  and  Copperas  Creek  locks,  as  well  as 
those  for  the  canal. 


247]  HISTORY  AND  CHARACTERISTICS  I9 

were  put  on  the  boats  for  the  return  trip  to  Chicago.  At  this  point 
salt  from  the  Kanawha  valley  competed  with  Syracuse  Solar  and 
the  imported  product  from  Turk's  Island,  becoming  increasingly 
important  as  the  slaughtering  industry  developed.  Sugar  from  the 
South  and  merchandise  from  the  East  and  South  found  their  way 
into  the  canal.  The  trade  in  ice,  cut  along  the  canal,  increased 
with  the  growth  of  Chicago  until  replaced  by  artificial  ice,  and 
traffic  in  stone  from  the  canal  banks  grew  with  the  demands  for 
construction  materials.  At  first  many  passengers  were  carried,  but 
this  type  of  traffic  was  the  first  to  leave  when  more  rapid  transpor- 
tation was  introduced  by  the  railroad. 

Tonnage  on  the  canal,  though  fluctuating  from  year  to  year, 
exhibited  a  gratifying  increase  until  1882,  then  came  a  gradual 
decline  until  1899  with  an  abrupt  falling  off'  in  1900,  since  which 
time  the  amount  of  traffic  carried  has  scarcely  been  sufficient  to 
warrant  recording  (Table  I).  This  constant  decline  in  traffic  gave 
the  friends  of  the  canal  genuine  concern,  and  many  explanations 
were  given  to  account  for  it.  That  most  often  mentioned  in  the 
earlier  years  was  low  water  In  the  Illinois  River,  as  in  i860  and 
1864.  It  was  said  that  in  i860  boats  made  but  two  round  trips 
from  Chicago  to  St.  Louis  during  the  season,  and  the  interference 
with  the  lumber  business  and  the  grain  trade  was  responsible  for 
the  low  figure  for  tonnage  carried  that  year.  Among  the  reasons 
given  were  a  short  grain  crop  along  the  canal  and  Illinois  River, 
as  in  1875,  business  depression,  as  in  1858,  1859,  and  1896,  a  strike 
In  the  building  trades  in  Chicago  affecting  shipments  from  quar- 
ries along  the  canal,  as  in  1888  and  1889,  a  coal  strike  in  1897, 
resulting  In  insufficient  fuel  to  keep  the  boats  running  and  com- 
pelling temporary  closing  of  the  stone  quarries,  Improper  grading 
of  corn  at  Bridgeport  In  1881,  and  competition  of  the  railroad. 

Direct  competition  of  the  railroad  with  the  canal  for  traffic 
began  with  the  construction  of  the  Chicago  and  Rock  Island  Rail- 
road westward  from  Chicago  in  1852,  approximately  paralleling 
the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  throughout  its  length.  In  1853 
the  inroads  made  by  it  upon  canal  traffic  were  slight,  but  in  1854 
connections  were  made  with  the  Mississippi  River  at  Rock  Island, 
and  thereafter  its  encroachments  on  canal  business  were  steady 
and  considerable.  As  early  as  1859  complaints  were  made  that 
railroads  were  carrying  freight  at  prices  below  the  cost  of  trans- 


20  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY        [248 

portation  in  the  determination  to  divert  business  from  the  canal/^ 
and  tolls  were  consequently  reduced.  A  more  recent  complaint 
has  been  made  against  the  Sanitary  District  of  Chicago  in  the 
construction  of  the  Sanitary  Ship  Canal.  This  is  accused  of  being 
largely  responsible  for  the  almost  total  absence  of  traffic  since 
1900,  having  interfered  with  its  business  during  the  construction 
of  the  drainage  canal,  and  having  taken  from  it  its  traffic  after  the 
project  was  completed,  besides  depriving  it  of  water  power  at 
Lockport  that  brought  it  a  revenue  of  $15,000  annually.^* 

A  consideration  of  the  several  mentioned  causes  of  traffic  de- 
cline reveals  the  fact  that  many  of  them  were  of  a  temporary 
character.  Strikes  were  short-lived.  A  poor  corn  crop  was  usually 
followed  by  one  of  more  than  ordinary  size,  and  prosperity  inevi- 
tably came  sooner  or  later  after  financial  and  business  depressions. 
That  the  final  decline  was  not  due  to  low  water  is  indicated  by 
the  fact  that  suspension  of  navigation  from  this  cause  was  not  ex- 
perienced after  1895,^^  yet  the  downward  trend  of  traffic  continued 
without  interruption.  Much  has  been  laid  to  unfair  practices  of 
the  railroads  in  competition  with  waterways,  and  it  is  undoubtedly 
true  that  questionable  methods  were  employed  at  one  time  to 
secure  traffic  otherwise  passing  over  the  river  or  canal;  but  it  was 
inevitable,  as  the  country  became  settled  farther  and  farther  from 
the  waterway,  that  railroads  should  be  patronized  more  and  more. 
They  penetrated  a  region  beyond  the  reach  of  the  waterway,  and 
their  greater  speed,  certainty,  and  reliability,  all  year  round  opera- 
tion, and  attention  to  facilities  for  handling  and  protecting  goods 
in  transit  and  during  transfer  brought  to  them  an  increasing 
amount  of  traffic  to  the  detriment  of  the  waterway.  That  the  gain 
made  by  the  railroad  over  the  canal  was  real  and  permanent  is 
shown  by  Figure  2,  using  lumber  out  of  Chicago  and  corn  into 
Chicago,  two  of  the  most  important  commodities  carried  on  the 
canal  and  handled  at  Chicago,  as  representative  of  the  general 
trend.  As  to  the  Sanitary  Ship  Canal,  its  construction  may  have 
interfered  with  trafiic,  but  the  small  commercial  use  that  has  been 


"Report  of  the  Illinois  Canal  Commissioners  to  Illinois  General  Assembly, 
1861,  p.  513- 

"Third  Annual  Report  of  Illinois  Division  of  Waterways,  1920,  p.  7. 
"""Annual  Report  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  1919,  I,  1598. 


249] 


HISTORY  AND  CHARACTERISTICS 


21 


Million 
bushels 


Corn  Receipts  at  Chicago 

Chicago  and  Rock  Island  Railroad 

Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  


Million 
bd.ft. 


Lumber  Shipments  from  Chicago 


Chicago  and  Rock  Island  Railro 
Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  -- 


Fig.  2.     Corn  Receipts  and  Lumber  Shipments  at  Chicago 
(From  reports  of  Chicago  Board  of  Trade) 


22  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [25O 

made  of  it  does  not  Indicate  that  the  contention  that  traffic  was 
diverted  to  it  through  freedom  from  tolls  is  well  founded. 

The  financial  history  of  the  canal  corresponds  closely  to  the 
commercial  one,  receipts  from  tolls  increasing  with  traffic  to  the 
high  point  in  1866  with  the  sum  of  ^302,958,  equal  to  more  than 
250  per  cent  of  the  gross  expenses  for  that  year.  It  was  prosperous 
years  like  this  that  gradually  accumulated  sufficient  funds  to  en- 
able the  trustees  to  pay  off  the  last  dollar  of  indebtedness  in  1871 
and  turn  the  canal  back  to  the  State  with  a  cash  balance  of 
^95,742.41.^^  It  seemed  that  the  financial  difficulties  were  over, 
and  the  next  year  tolls  were  reduced  on  a  few  important  commod- 
ities.^^ In  1873  began  the  final  decline  of  tolls,  1878  being  the  last 
year  that  revenue  from  that  source  exceeded  gross  expenses.  To 
make  up  the  increasing  deficit,  sums  for  upkeep  and  operation 
were  voted  by  the  General  Assembly  until  1903,  when  appropria- 
tions for  this  purpose  were  declared  unconstitutional.  For  four- 
teen years  it  was  supported  from  a  variety  of  sources, — rentals, 
leases,  and  privileges,  sale  of  lands,  appropriations  for  the  improve- 
ment of  the  Illinois  River  channel,  tolls,  etc.,  the  most  important 
being  rentals  for  water  power.  In  1917  the  Civil  Administrative 
Code  law  again  permitted  Legislative  appropriations  to  be  used  in 
this  way.^^  A  part,  at  least,  of  this  amount  consisted  of  the  re- 
ceipts from  the  canal,  which  are  now  paid  over  to  the  State  treas- 
ury. There  are  lands  of  undisputed  title  worth  four  million  dol- 
lars still  belonging  to  canal  property,  beside  areas  whose  owner- 
ship is  in  dispute. ^° 

As  a  phase  of  war  emergency  work  an  allotment  of  ^150,000 
was  secured  from  Congress  in  1918  for  cleaning  out  the  canal,  re- 
storing its  banks,  and  repairing  locks  and  other  structures.-"  This 
work,  together  with  raising  the  banks  where  low  and  repairing 
them  to  prevent  breaks,  put  the  canal  in  better  condition  for  use 
than  it  had  been  for  several  years,  boats  drawing  no  more  than 
four  and  one-half  feet  of  water  being  able  to  navigate  it  without 
difficulty.-^   In  spite  of  this  improvement  the  canal  is  in  poor  con- 

^^Jrniual  Report  of  Illinois  Canal  Commissioners,  1872,  p.  4. 

"J bid.,  p.  II. 

^^Sixth  Annual  Report  of  Illinois  Division  of  Waterways,  1923,  p.  72. 

""Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal,  What  it  is,  etc.,"  p.  6. 

'^Second  Annual  Report  of  Illinois  Division  of  Waterways,  1919,  p.  11. 

''Ibid.,  p.  12. 


251]  HISTORY  AND  CHARACTERISTICS  23 

dition,  many  of  the  structures  needing  to  be  replaced.  Heavy  rains 
in  August,  1924,  damaged  the  canal  below  Utica  and  unfitted  it 
for  use  until  repairs  could  be  made,  work  which  was  undertaken 
during  the  summer  of  1925.  Though  the  canal  is  small  and  traffic 
on  it  is  limited,  it  is  to  be  retained  to  supplement  the  use  of  the 
new  waterway.  Boats  built  at  various  Lake  Michigan  points  are 
taken  through  the  canal  to  their  destination  each  year,  and  the 
Federal  Government  transfers  by  this  route  boats  for  use  in  the 
revenue  service  at  Gulf  ports  or  on  the  Mississippi.^^  Besides  these 
and  a  few  small  pleasure  boats  each  year,  the  canal  carries  only 
a  few  thousands  of  tons  at  most.  The  amount  and  nature  of  this 
traffic  is  shown  in  Table  II. 


TABLE  II.— TRAFFIC  ON  THE  ILLINOIS  AND  MICHIGAN  CANAL" 
CALENDAR  YEAR,  1923 

Commodities                                                Up            Down  Total            Value 

Wheat,  short  tons 4j46i              684  5ji45         ?i8i,790 

Corn,  short  tons 621          2,847  3,468              80,012 

Oats,  short  tons 332  332                9>I52 

Coal,  short  tons ^2                  7  4°                     1 7^ 

General  Merchandise 62  62             i3>95o 

Total 5,115         3,932         9,047 2  85,080 


That  part  of  the  canal  paralleled  by  the  Sanitary  Ship  Canal 
was  maintained  until  the  work  of  the  Sanitary  District  cut  through 
the  old  channel  in  the  construction  of  the  Sag  Channel  (1907).-* 
No  effort  is  now  made  to  continue  its  operation  and  it  is  largely 
grown  up  to  reeds  and  other  marsh  plants,  or  has  been  appropri- 
ated for  some  other  use.-^ 

The  Sanitary  Ship  Canal 

While  the  Sanitary  Ship  Canal  was  planned  by  the  Sanitary 
District  of  Chicago  primarily  as  a  sanitary  measure,  due  precau- 
tion was  taken  in  its  construction  to  make  it  an  adequate  part  of 
the  whole  inland  navigable  waterway.    It,  too,  took  advantage  of 

"Sixth  Annual  Report  of  Illinois  Division  of  Waterways,  1923,  p.  72. 
'^Annual  Report  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  1924,  II,  1141. 
'*First  Annual  Report  of  Illinois  Division  of  Waterways,  1918,  p.  ID. 
'^'"Second  Annual  Report  of  Illinois  Division  of  Waterways,  1919,  pp.  14-15. 


24  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY        [252 

the  water-worn  depression  followed  by  the  Illinois  and  Michigan 
Canal,  approximately  paralleling  the  latter  throughout  its  length. 
From  its  junction  with  the  West  Fork  of  the  South  Branch  of  the 
Chicago  River  at  Robey  St.,  six  miles  from  the  lake  and  about 
one-eighth  mile  north  of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal,  it  fol- 
lows along  the  north  and  west  side  of  the  latter  to  Lockport,  a 
length  of  28.05  miles  (Fig.  3).  Conceived  at  a  time  when  the  mands 
of  many  mid-westerners  were  filled  with  visions  of  ocean  ships 
passing  from  the  lakes  to  the  Gulf  over  Illinois  waterways,  it  was 
dug  deep,  twenty-two  feet  in  earth  and  twenty-four  in  rock  sec- 
tions, and  given  a  width  of  160  to  202  feet  at  bottom  and  162  to 
290  feet  at  the  water  line.^^  To  control  the  widely  varying  Des 
Plaines  River  a  thirteen  mile  diversion  channel  had  to  be  excavated 
for  the  river  to  occupy,  and  about  nineteen  miles  of  levee  built  to 
separate  it  from  the  drainage  canal.-''  Controlling  works  were 
built  at  Lockport  to  meet  the  fluctuations  in  the  level  of  Lake  Mich- 
igan, and  a  windage  basin  in  which  large  vessels  may  be  turned 
around. 

Wiien  water  was  turned  in  in  January,  1900,  the  Chicago 
River  was  made  to  reverse  its  flow,  carrying  the  city  sewage  away 
from  Chicago  and  its  source  of  drinking  water  in  the  lake.  The 
amount  deemed  necessary  and  appropriated  from  Lake  Michigan 
by  the  Sanitary  District  has  increased  along  with  the  growth  in 
population  from  less  than  3,000  cubic  feet  per  second  in  1900^*  to 
about  8,500  at  the  present  time,-^  a  fact  that  is  of  importance  to 
navigation  as  well  as  to  sanitation,  and,  consequently,  has  given 
rise  to  much  controversy.  Problems  of  water  power  also  enter  in, 
as  the  amount  of  power  available  bears  a  close  relation  to  volume 
of  water.  In  1903  the  Sanitary  District  was  permitted  to  extend 
the  main  channel  from  the  basin  at  the  controlling  works  some 
11,000  feet,  and  to  construct  a  power  house  to  utilize  the  power 
heretofore  being  wasted.  Connection  is  made  with  the  Des  Plaines 
River  and  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  in  a  common  pool  at 

"Warren,  op.  cit.,  p.  114. 

"Memorial  by  the  Trustees  of  the  Sanitary  District  of  Chicago  to  Congress 
of  the  United  States,  1900,  p.  12. 

^"Improvement  of  the  Illinois  and  Mississippi  Rivers  and  Diversion  of 
Water  from  Lake  Michigan,"  p.  202. 

''Ibid.,  p.  56. 


253]  HISTORY  AND  CHARACTERISTICS  25 

Joliet  through  a  lock  at  the  power  house  and  a  canal  having  a 
width  of  about  i6o  feet  and  a  minimum  depth  of  lo  feet.  The 
lock,  which  is  130  feet  long,  22  feet  wide,  and  has  a  depth  of  12 
feet  of  water  over  the  sills,  was  opened  to  navigation  July,  1910.^" 
The  cost  of  construction  of  the  drainage  canal  was  met  en- 
tirely by  the  Sanitary  District  of  Chicago,  that  for  navigation  over 
and  above  the  necessary  costs  for  sanitary  purposes  having  been 
estimated  as  $18,000,000,^^  an  expenditure  that  has  never  been 
justified  by  its  commercial  use.^^^  Seventeen  miles  of  the  canal  was 
through  limestone  rock,  which,  where  it  outcrops  on  or  near  the 
banks,  as  in  the  vicinity  of  Lemont  (Fig.  3),  furnishes  the  canal 
its  chief  commodity  for  transport.  The  stone  is  quarried  close  to 
the  canal,  run  out  upon  the  loading  platform  in  cars  from  which 
the  stone  is  dumped  into  barges  drawn  up  alongside,  and  carried 
to  Chicago  to  be  used  as  crushed  stone  for  roads  and  piers.  The 
only  other  freight  carried  on  the  canal  is  oil  products  from  the 
Texas  Oil  Company's  refinery  at  Lockport.  It  is  carried  in  barges 
of  from  25  to  30  car  loads  and  is  said  to  reach  Chicago  in  twelve 
hours,  whereas  by  rail  it  would  take  three  days  due  to  the  neces- 
sary switching.^-  With  the  exception  of  the  '"spoil"  ^-^  bank  stone 
from  the  margins  of  the  canal,  which  is  carried  by  local  contrac- 
tors in  their  own  scows  and  towboats,  all  the  transportation  is 
done  by  the  owners  of  the  freight  In  their  own  floating  equipment.^^ 
There  are  no  public  carriers  on  the  canal.  Besides  the  boat  of  the 
Sanitary  District,  which  makes  a  daily  trip  down  the  canal  during 
the  open  season  and  often  carries  excursion  parties,  a  number  of 
launches  pass  through  the  canal  each  year.  There  were  160  such 
boats  passing  through  the  lock  at  the  power  house  in  1917.^* 

Chicago  River 

Connecting  the  canals   with  Lake  Michigan  Is  the  Chicago 
River,  originally  a  sluggish  creek  nearly  stagnant  for  the  greater 

'"■'Diversion  of  Water  from  Lake  Michigan,"  p.  11. 

^^Report  of  the  Deep  Waterway  Committee  of  the  Chicago  Commercial  As- 
sociation, 1906,  p.  20. 

""See  Table  XV  for  tonnage  on  Sanitary  Ship  Canal. 

"^Verbal  statement  of  Sanitary  District  employee. 

"'A  term  used  for  the  broken  stone  obtained  when  the  canal  was  excavated. 

^Annual  Report  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  1924,  II,  1142. 

^Warren,  op.  cit.,  p.  115. 


26  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [254 


Scale  of  miles 


Fig.  3.   ChicagoDes  Plaines  Waterways 


255]  HISTORY  AND  CHARACTERISTICS  1"] 

part  of  the  year,  but  after  heavy  rains,  when  receiving  water  from 
the  Des  Plaines  basin  as  well  as  from  its  own,  having  a  current 
great  enough  to  scour  a  natural  channel  eight  to  fourteen  feet  or 
more  in  depth  as  far  as  its  mouth.^^  The  longer  tributary,  North 
Branch,  flows  in  a  southeasterly  direction  to  within  1.6  miles  of 
the  lake,  where  it  is  met  by  South  Branch  to  form  the  main  river. 
South  Branch  extends  in  a  southerly  and  southwesterly  direction 
nearly  four  miles  to  the  junction  of  the  West  and  South  Forks, 
the  latter  of  which  again  divides  into  the  east  and  west  arms  about 
1.59  miles  farther  south  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Union  Stock  Yards 
(Fig.  3).  The  southern  is  the  more  important  of  the  two  main 
tributaries,  connection  having  been  made  by  the  Illinois  and  Mich- 
igan Canal  with  the  South  Fork  of  this  branch,  and  the  Sanitary 
Ship  Canal  with  the  West  Fork.  The  last  named  river  occupies 
the  valley  worn  by  glacial  waters  in  the  geologic  past  and  utilized 
more  recently  by  flood  waters  from  the  Des  Plaines  watershed  on 
their  way  to  Lake  Michigan. 

In  the  original  condition  each  branch  was  navigable  for  boats 
of  twelve-foot  draft  for  about  five  miles  and  the  main  river  for 
fourteen-foot  draft  to  its  mouth,  where  it  was  obstructed  by  a  bar 
over  which  the  water  varies  in  depth  from  four  feet  or  less  to  nine 
feet  or  more.^*'  Previous  to  1896  work  of  improvement  by  the 
United  States  Government  was  limited  to  the  so-called  Chicago 
Harbor,  which  includes  only  that  portion  of  the  river  between  the 
lake  and  Rush  Street,  .7  of  a  mile  in  length.  This  early  work  con- 
sisted of  cutting  through  the  bar  at  the  entrance  (1833),  construct- 
ing piers  and  jetties,  and  some  dredging.  In  the  meantime  various 
attempts  at  improvement,  such  as  dredging,  and  the  construction 
of  bulkheads,  slips,  and  docks,  had  been  made  by  the  city  and  by 
individuals.  Some  of  this  work  was  obstructive  to  navigation,  as 
there  was  no  co-ordination  of  plan.^^  Several  projects  have  sub- 
sequently provided  for  river  Improvement  by  the  Federal  Govern- 
ment, through  which  the  river  has  been  widened  to  200  feet  or 
more,  and  deepened  to  21  feet,  and  two  turning  basins  constructed. 
When  the  Sanitary  District  turned  the  water  into  the  drainage 
canal  In    1900  and   reversed  the  flow  of   South   Branch,  further 

^^"Diversion  of  Water  from  Lake  Michigan,"'  p.  28. 
^Ibid.,  p.  30. 


28  THE   GEONOMIC   ASPECTS   OF   THE    ILLINOIS   WATERWAY         [256 

dredging  to  a  depth  of  26  feet  was  required  to  compensate  for  loss 
of  navigable  depth  through  reversal. 

In  spite  of  improvement  the  Chicago  River  is  still  a  narrow, 
crooked  stream  offering  innumerable  difficulties.  There  are  many 
fluctuations  in  the  level  of  Lake  Michigan,  the  difference  between 
the  mean  stage  of  low  water  in  winter  to  high  water  in  summer 
being  about  1.2  feet.  Wind  and  differences  of  barometric  pressure 
cause  daily  changes  of  from  .1  to  .5  of  a  foot,  and  seiches  amount- 
ing to  from  three  to  four  feet  occur  at  infrequent  intervals.^^  Di- 
version of  water  from  Lake  Michigan,  together  with  these  tem- 
porary and  local  differences  and  variations  in  rainfall,  has  given 
a  troublesome  current,  which  averages  one  and  one-half  miles  per 
hour.  At  times  it  reaches  as  high  as  four  miles  per  hour  in  some 
of  the  bridge  draws,  and  causes  loss  of  control  of  the  clumsy  large 
lake  boats  and  damage  to  the  boats  or  bridge  structures,  or  a 
blocking  of  the  channel,  thus  making  the  use  of  tug  boats  neces- 
sary.^^ The  current,  together  with  the  great  number  of  bridges 
made  necessary  by  urban  growth,  delays  which  come  from  closed 
bridge  hours,  and  difficulties  of  securing  docking  space,  has  dis- 
couraged navigation  on  the  Chicago  River,  and  is  partly  respon- 
sible for  the  decrease  in  waterborne  commerce  at  Chicago  in  re- 
cent years. 

An  alternate  outlet  to  the  lake  is  through  Calumet  Harbor 
by  means  of  the  Calumet  Sag  channel  and  Calumet  River,  a  con- 
nection made  with  the  drainage  canal  for  sewage  disposal.  It  is 
significant  in  this  case,  also,  that  the  Sanitary  District  selected 
for  this  purpose  a  second  valley  worn  by  glacial  waters  in  their 
escape  from  the  Lake  Michigan  basin.  The  Sag  canal  furnishes  a 
channel  20  feet  deep  and  60  feet  wide  to  the  Calumet  River,  which 
offers  a  depth  of  18  feet  or  more  and  a  width  of  not  less  than  150 
feet  from  the  "Forks"  near  Lake  Calumet,  the  present  head  of 
navigation,  to  Lake  Michigan.  As  the  region  is  flat  and  there  is 
a  flow  of  only  about  700  cubic  feet  per  second  from  the  lake,*°  the 
current  is  slight.  If  the  Calulmet  region  is  decided  on  as  the  indus- 
trial terminal  for  the  Illinois  Waterway,  a  proposition  now  under 
consideration,  further  improvement  will  be  necessary.    Dredging 

^Annual  Report  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  1924,  I,  1430. 

^'"Diversion  of  Water  from  Lake  Michigan,"  p.  37. 

*''Annual  Report  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  1924,  I,  1434. 


257]  HISTORY  AND  CHARACTERISTICS  29 

of  the  unimproved  portion  of  the  Calumet  River  between  the 
"Forks"  and  the  Sanitary  District  canal,  and  the  widening  of  the 
Sag  channel  which  is  now  too  narrow  for  economical  use  by  any 
considerable  amount  of  traffic,*^  would  probably  be  required.  As 
this  would  involve  excavation  in  rock  the  expense  would  be  con- 
siderable, one  estimate  giving  $9,000,000  as  the  probable  cost  of 
widening  to  i6c  feet.'*^ 

The  Illinois  and  Mississippi  Canal 

Any  treatment  of  the  Illinois  waterways  would  be  incomplete 
without  mention  of  the  Illinois  and  Mississippi,  or,  as  at  first  offi- 
cially and  still  popularly  called,  the  Hennepin  Canal.  It  is  unusual 
in  several  respects.  Though  built  by  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment at  the  insistent  demand  of  the  community  to  be  served,  the 
time  was  so  long  between  its  projection  in  1888  and  its  completion 
in  October,  1907,  that  the  condition  it  was  designed  to  remedy  no 
longer  existed,  and  the  very  people  who  urged  its  construction 
most  strongly  no  longer  cared  to  use  it.  It  was  intended  as  a  con- 
tinuation of  the  Lakes  to  the  Mississippi  waterway  with  the  express 
purpose  of  overcoming  the  exceedingly  high  railroad  rates  then 
prevailing.  To  carry  wheat  from  St.  Paul  to  Chicago  or  Mihvaukee 
by  rail  cost  twelve  cents  per  bushel  and  the  freight  rate  on  coal  from 
Chicago  to  the  Mississippi  was  two  dollars  a  ton,  whereas  the 
same  commodity  was  carried  from  Erie  to  Chicago,  nearly  one 
thousand  miles  by  water,  and  by  the  competing  rail  lines, 
for  sixty-four  cents  per  ton.  Therefore  it  was  thought  that  the 
benefits  of  water  rates  could  be  extended  to  the  Mississippi  by  this 
means. ^^  In  the  meantime,  however,  the  railroads,  through  com- 
petition among  themselves  and  by  means  of  improved  roadbed 
and  rolling  stock  and  better  organization,  reduced  their  rates  so 
that  the  desired  end  was  obtained  without  the  intervention  of  the 
waterway. 

The  canal  extends  westward  a  distance  of  seventy-five  miles 
from  a  point  on  the  Illinois  River  about  one  and  three-fourths 
miles  above  Hennepin  and  twelve  miles  below  La  Salle.    From 

"'"Diversicn  cf  Water  from  Lake  Michigan,"  p.  39. 

*^Jbid.,  p.  41. 

*^Annual  Re-pcrt  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  1908,  II,  2014-2015. 


30  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [258 

here,  where  a  lake  affords  a  terminal  harbor  at  the  eastern  end,  It 
follows  for  a  portion  of  the  distance  the  valleys  of  Bureau  Creek 
and  Rock  River  to  the  Mississippi,  377  miles  below  Minneapolis 
and  292  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri  (Fig.  i).  It  is 
seven  feet  deep  and  eighty  feet  wide  at  the  water  line,  with  thirty- 
two  locks  in  the  main  canal.  As  it  was  intended  to  admit  Missis- 
sippi River  boats,  the  size  of  the  locks  was  calculated  to  accom- 
modate vessels  of  at  least  280  tons  burden.**  They  have  a  length 
of  170  feet,  a  width  of  35  feet,  and  depth  of  at  least  seven  feet  of 
water  over  the  sills.  Twenty-one  of  them  are  needed  to  care  for 
the  lift  of  199  feet  from  low  water  in  the  Illinois  River  to  the 
summit.*^  A  feeder  along  the  flat  crest  of  the  divide  from  Rock 
River  on  the  north  furnishes  a  cheap  and  reliable  water  supply.**' 
The  prophesy  of  the  Engineer's  Department  that  the  first 
practical  use  would  probably  be  for  floating  launches,  houseboats, 
and  pleasure  boats  between  the  upper  Illinois  and  the  Mississippi 
and  Rock  Rivers  was  realized.*^  Passenger  traffic  has  always  been 
relatively  high,  exceeding  35,000  in  1918,  but  commercial  traffic  has 
seldom  exceeded  12,000  tons,  largely  local.*^  In  October,  1918,  it 
served  as  a  route  for  the  transport  of  six  barges  of  coal  containing 
7,222  tons,  from  St.  Louis  to  the  Government  Arsenal  at  Rock  Isl- 
and at  a  time  when  sand  bars  in  the  Mississippi  denied  passage  for 
the  fleet  over  that  waterway.*^  Like  similar  pieces  of  work  it  cost 
much  more  than  the  original  estimate,  the  total  being  augmented 
by  operation  and  care  of  the  completed  portions  during  the  fifteen 
years  of  construction.  At  the  time  the  plans  were  submitted  con- 
struction was  estimated  to  cost  ^6,925,960,^°  but  by  the  end  of  the 
fiscal  year,  1908,  ^7,319,563.39  had  been  spent  for  this  purpose^^ 
and  ^86,005.92  for  operation  and  care.^-    Subsequent  construction 


'^Annual  Report  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  1908,  II,  2015-2016. 
■^"Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal,  What  it  is,  etc.,"  p.  6. 
^'Robert  G.  Buzzard,  'The  Hennepin  Canal,"  Trans.  Illinois  State  Acad,  of 
Science,  1922,  p.  374. 

"Annual  Report  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  1908,  II,  2022. 
*^Annual  Reports  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  1908-1924. 
^'First  Annual  Report  of  Illinois  Division  of  Waterways,  1918,  p.  8. 
^Annual  Report  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  1908,  II,  2015. 
"Ibid.,  p.  2026. 
''Ibid.,  p.  2028. 


259]  HISTORY  AXD  CH.\RACTERISTICS  3 1 

has  raised  the  former  figure  to  $7,547,278,°^  while  the  present  an- 
nual maintenance  charge  averages  $100,000.^*  The  use  is  gener- 
ally recognized  as  not  being  commensurate  to  the  expenditure,  but 
it  is  hoped  that  this  will  show  a  considerable  increase  with  the 
completion  of  the  new  Illinois  waterway,  opening  up  a  usable 
channel  directly  to  Chicago. 


"Ibid.,  192+,  11,  II 12. 
"Average  for  1914.-1924. 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  NEW  ILLINOIS  RIVER  PROJECT 

It  was  duringthe  wave  of  conservation  enthusiasm  in  1908  that 
the  Illinois  state  constitution  was  amended  to  permit  the  expenditure 
of  $20,000,000  to  provide  an  adequate  waterway  across  the  State. 
The  inability  of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  to  meet  the  grow- 
ing needs  of  transportation  was  recognized  and  it  was  believed 
that  a  deeper  and  better  waterway  was  what  was  needed  to  solve 
the  traffic  problems  of  the  time.  As  ocean  and  lake  rates  are  the 
cheapest  known,  it  was  argued,  so  a  deep  waterway  would  bring 
the  same  benefits  to  those  who  should  choose  to  patronize  it,  and 
"Twenty-Four  Feet  Through  the  Valley"  became  the  slogan.  On 
consideration,  however,  it  was  found  that  a  waterway  of  such  di- 
mensions involved  such  a  stupendous  cost  as  to  be  prohibitive, 
consequently  the  plans  were  modified  to  fourteen  feet. 

The  first  plan  adopted  by  the  State  was  for  a  fourteen  foot 
waterway,  but  it  failed  to  receive  the  sanction  of  the  board  of  en- 
gineers of  the  United  States  Army  who  considered  it  and  who 
recommended  an  eight  foot  waterway  instead,  as  one  of  fourteen 
feet  neither  permitted  passage  of  ocean  ships  nor  was  required  by 
craft  suitable  for  inland  water  navigation.  After  another  investi- 
gation a  second  plan  was  presented,  providing  for  an  eight  foot 
waterway,  but  again  it  failed  of  recommendation  by  the  Federal 
board  of  engineers,  this  time  on  account  of  inadequacy  of  the 
plans.  The  third  and  last  plan  met  with  the  approval  of  the  engi- 
neers and  secured  from  the  Secretary  of  War  the  necessary  permit 
for  the  proposed  construction.  According  to  the  legislative  act  in 
force  July,  1919,  the  proceeds  from  the  sale  of  bonds  to  the  amount 
of  $20,000,000  are  to  be  used  in  the  deepening  of  the  Des  Plaines 
River  south  from  the  Sanitary  Ship  Canal  at  Lockport,  and  of  the 
Illinois  to  one  mile  above  the  wagon  bridge  at  Utica  to  eight  feet 
in  earth  and  ten  feet  in  rock,  and  the  construction  of  the  necessary 
structures.^ 

River  improvement,  rather  than  a  canal,  was  decided  upon, 
as   it  gives  greater  present  width   and   depth,  lends   itself   more 

^Senate  Bill  252,  Laws  cf  Illinois,  51st  General  Assembly,  1919,  p.  978. 

32 


26l]  THE   NEW   ILLINOIS   RIVER   PROJECT  33 

readily  to  future  enlargement,  and  offers  a  channel  requiring  a 
minimum  for  maintenance  and  operation  and  a  maximum  in  water- 
way facilities.  Rock  lies  near  enough  the  surface  to  provide  ex- 
cellent foundation  for  structures,  yet  not  near  enough,  except  near 
Utica,  to  call  for  any  considerable  amount  of  rock  cutting.  The 
river  between  Joliet  and  Utica  has  an  average  natural  width  of 
from  500  to  600  feet,  and  the  new  channel  is  to  be  made  at  least 
150  feet  wide  at  bottom  wherever  practicable.^  In  this  section  the 
river  flows  between  well  defined  banks,  and  has  rock  bound  sides 
and  bottom,  with  a  succession  of  deep  pools,  interspersed  with 
shallow  reaches  and  rapids.  Three  of  these  pools.  Lake  Joliet  just 
below  the  city  of  Joliet,  Lake  Du  Page,  above  the  mouth  of  the 
Kankakee,  and  the  pool  above  Marseilles  cover  more  than  one- 
third  of  the  total  distance.^  Between  the  pools  are  sharp  descents 
making  necessary  the  construction  of  dams  to  care  for  the  drop 
of  136  feet  found  in  the  63.5  miles  between  Lockport  and  LItica.'* 
There  are  to  be  five  dams  with  locks  each  no  feet  wide,  600  feet 
long,  with  a  minimum  depth  of  nine  feet  and  fourteen  feet  over 
the  miter  sills'  to  provide  for  a  possible  future  fourteen  foot  water- 
way. They  permit  the  passage  of  fleets  of  barges  having  an  aggre- 
gate capacity  of  7,500*^  to  9,000  tons.  The  lock  near  Marseilles  is 
completed,  the  one  at  Lockport  is  under  construction,  and  the 
contract  has  been  let  for  the  lock  and  dam  near  Starved  Rock. 
The  waterway  is  designed  for  an  eight  foot  depth  with  the  per- 
mitted flow  of  4,167  cubic  feet  per  second  from  Lake  Michigan. 
All  work,  except  about  13,000  feet  in  length  where  a  bend  is  cut 
off  in  order  to  avoid  disturbing  existing  water  rights  at  Marseilles, 
is  confined  to  the  improvement  of  the  natural  waterway. 

Power  plants  are  to  be  constructed  by  the  State  and  the  output 
leased,  or  water  may  be  leased  to  those  constructing  the  plants. 


^Ibid. 

^Memorial  by  the  Trustees  oj  the  Sanitary  District  of  Chicago  to  Congress 
of  the  United  States,  1900,  p.  17. 

^"Survey  of  the  Illinois  River,"  House  Document  263,  59  Cong.,  i  sess.,  16 

(1905)- 

'Senate  Bill  252. 

'"Illinois  Waterway  to  Connect  the  Lakes  and  the  Mississippi,"  Eng.  News- 
Record,  LXXXIV  (192c),  433.  (Gov.  Deneen  in  Special  Message,  191 1,  gives 
9000  tons). 


34  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [262 

leases  not  to  exceed  thirty  yearsJ  From  tolls  from  navigation,^ 
but  more  particularly  from  leases  for  water  power,^  the  State  ex- 
pects to  collect  a  sum  sufficient  to  pay  interest  on  all  bonds  issued 
and  to  provide  a  sinking  fund  with  which  to  pay  them  when  due, 
as  well  as  to  pay  all  expenses  of  operation  and  maintenance.  When 
the  State  is  completely  reimbursed  it  proposes  to  offer  to  the 
United  States  the  waterway  for  navigation,  providing  the  latter 
will  assume  all  expenses  ev^er  afterward  of  operating  and  caring 
for  it  toll  free.^° 

Connected  Waterways 

The  State  project  would  have  limited  value  without  connec- 
tion with  the  great  system  of  the  Mississippi.  In  fact,  it  is  as  a  link 
between  the  two  great  inland  waterways,  the  Great  Lakes  and  the 
Mississippi,  not  as  a  separate  navigation  unit  in  Itself,  that  It  has 
been  advocated.  It  is  expected  that  coal  from  southern  Illinois, 
Imports  from  New  Orleans,  and  grain  from  the  upper  AlississippI 
region  may  reach  the  lake  metropolis  over  the  new  waterway.  It 
is  true,  too,  that  It  will  form  a  part  of  the  greatest  inland  water- 
way in  the  world.  From  Chicago  to  the  Gulf  is  more  than  i,6oo 
miles  (by  river),  the  Ohio  offers  nearly  one  thousand,  and  the 
upper  Mississippi  above  St.  Louis  about  650  miles  more.  This 
gives  approximately  3,200  miles,  exclusive  of  tributaries, — all  Im- 
proved or  provided  with  projects  for  improvement,  except  the  7.4 
miles  of  the  Illinois  River  between  the  lower  limit  of  the  Illinois 
Waterway  and  the  junction  of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal 
near  La  Salle. 

Below  La  Salle  a  Federal  project  provides  for  a  depth  of  seven 
feet  by  two  Government  dams,  together  with  two  State  dams 
(page  17),  and  dredging.  With  the  present  diversion  of  water  no 
difficulty  Is  experienced  in  maintaining  a  navigable  channel  for  all 
boats  desiring  to  use  the  river,  though  all  the  dredging  originally 
contemplated  has  not  been  done.   The  increase  of  depth  due  to 


''Senate  Bill  252,  p.  985. 
^Ibid.,  p.  979. 
^Ibid. 

"Dan  C.  Kingman,  "Against  the  Illinois  Waterway,"  Eng.  and  Con.,  XLV 
;i9i6),  254. 


263]  THE   NEW   ILLINOIS   RIVER   PROJECT  35 

greater  flow  of  water  through  the  drainage  canal  Is  especially- 
noticeable  at  the  State  dams  which  are  drowned  out  to  a  depth 
of  three  feet,  so  that  only  boats  drawing  more  than  that  much 
water  are  now  obliged  to  use  the  locks  and  pay  toll.^^  The  mini- 
mum depth  In  the  lower  river  is  at  the  Kampsville  lock,  over  the 
sill  of  which  a  low  water  depth  of  6.5  feet  has  prevailed  since  1906. 
At  this  time  the  Sanitary  District  was  permitted  to  lower  the  dams 
two  feet  to  give  relief  from  floods  along  the  Illinois,  following  the 
diversion  of  water  from  Lake  Michigan.^^  A  bill  providing  for  a 
nine  foot  depth  between  the  Illinois  project  and  the  river's  mouth 
has  recently  been  passed  by  Congress.^^ 

At  Grafton  the  Illinois  River  joins  that  portion  of  the  Missis- 
sippi on  which  the  United  States  Government  aims  to  maintain  a 
navigable  depth  of  six  feet.  Though  the  stretch  of  twenty-two 
miles  to  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri  is  fairly  straight  with  no  sharp 
bends,  it  is  the  most  troublesome  part  of  the  whole  Illinois-Missis- 
sippi waterway  from  La  Salle  to  the  Gulf  from  the  standpoint  of 
depth.  In  time  of  floods  the  Missouri  discharges  a  much  larger 
volume  of  water  than  is  brought  by  the  upper  Mississippi,  which 
reduces  the  slope  above  the  junction  to  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois 
close  to  zero  and  causes  the  slowly  moving  water  to  deposit  its 
sediment  until  the  low  water  channels  are  wholly  or  partially  ob- 
literated. This  is  especially  well  marked  if  the  high  water  is  of 
long  duration  and  the  fall  from  high  to  low  water  rapid,  as  the 
river  is  then  unable  to  clear  out  the  channels  again.  The  result  is 
numerous  sandbars  and  occasional  depths  of  only  four  to  five  feet. 
The  improvement,  to  be  done  by  bank  protection  and  contraction 
works  to  fix  the  channel  width  at  1,400  feet,  is  about  half  com- 
pleted.^* The  Federal  projects  aim  to  provide  a  channel  depth  of 
eight  feet  between  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri  and  the  Ohio  and 
from  there  to  the  Gulf  not  less  than  nine  feet.^^  On  the  upper 
Mississippi  the  project  of  1907  to  give  a  six  foot  depth  between 


""Diversion  of  Water  from  Lake  Michigan,"  Report  on  the  Sanitary  Dis- 
trict of  Chicago  by  District  Engineer,  1924.  p.  44. 

"Ibid.,  p.  43- 

"January,  1927. 

""Illinois  and  Mississippi  Rivers,"  House  Document  2,  67  Cong.,  I  sess., 
20,   (1921). 

'"Rarely  this  has  not  been  done,  as  in  the  fall  months  of  1922,  when  navi- 
gation was  seriously  interrupted  by  low  water  south  of  Memphis. 


36 


THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  "WATERWAY 


1 264 


St.  Louis  and  St.  Paul  is  not  yet  completed.  The  largest  boats 
that  navigate  that  section  of  the  river  draw  only  three  to  three 
and  one-half  feet,  yet  have  trouble  at  low  water.^® 


"M.  G.  Barnes,  Inland  Waterways  and  Transportation  Costs,  1920,  p.  16. 


CHAPTER  III 
THE  CARGO  CARRIER 

Engineers  recommend  in  the  construction  or  improvement  of 
waterways,  that  the  type  of  traffic  demanding  the  waterway  shall 
first  be  determined,  next  the  kind  of  carrier  most  appropriate  to 
carry  such  traffic,  then  that  the  waterway  shall  be  so  improved  or 
constructed  as  to  fit  the  requirements  of  the  carrier,  a  procedure 
seldom,  if  ever,  followed.  As  natural  waterways  differ  widely  in 
their  characteristics  and  boats  built  for  one  often  navigate  ad- 
joining waterways,  the  result  is  a  variety  of  types  and  sizes  afloat 
together.  However,  just  as  there  is  a  type  of  vessel  best  adapted 
to  each  particular  kind  of  cargo,  so  there  is  a  type  of  craft  best 
fitted  to  a  particular  waterway. 

A  river  with  a  deep,  straight  channel  may  be  navigated  by  a 
deep  draft  steamer  at  a  considerable  rate  of  speed,  but,  if  the  cur- 
rent is  strong,  the  power  for  propulsion  must  be  correspondingly 
high  to  overcome  the  current  upstream.  On  the  other  hand,  a 
meandering  stream  like  the  Mississippi,  with  many  sharp  bends, 
must  have  a  vessel  easily  controlled,  so  that  it  can  start,  slow 
down,  and  stop  suddenly,  if  necessary.  On  canals  the  rate  of  speed 
is  very  important,  as  the  wash  of  the  water  on  the  canal  sides  re- 
sulting from  the  rapid  replacement  of  water  under  a  boat  going 
at  a  high  rate  of  speed,  is  sufficient  to  do  considerable  damage, 
especially  if  the  draft  of  the  boat  approaches  the  depth  of  the 
water.  In  a  narrow  channel  a  momentary  loss  of  control  may  re- 
sult in  a  boat's  running  into  the  bank  and  blocking  traffic  for  hours. 
Where  there  are  locks  to  be  passed  through,  traffic  must  move  slow- 
ly, otherwise  there  is  imminent  danger  of  damage  or  destruction  to 
the  structures.  It  is  apparent,  therefore,  that  a  deep,  wide,  and 
straight  channel  of  a  waterway  with  stable  banks,  gentle  flow,  and 
the  minimum  number  of  locks,  is  greatly  to  be  preferred.  An 
analysis  of  the  description  already  given  of  the  waterway  as  it  is 
planned  to  be  from  Chicago  to  Grafton  shows  it  to  be  reasonably 
straight,  of  ample  width  (except  at  the  old  locks),  with  the  velocity 
of  flow  too  low  to  cause  appreciable  difficulty,  and  with  few  locks 
for  so  long  a  route.  This  is  a  combination  possessed  to  so  great 
a  degree  by  few  waterways  of  equal  length. 

37 


38  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [266 

To  fit  the  changing  conditions  of  the  time  there  have  been 
corresponding  changes  in  water  craft,  one  of  the  most  character- 
istic features  being  the  giving  way  of  the  standard  type  of  river 
steamer  to  the  barge  and  towboat  as  the  chief  freight  carrier. 
Several  barges  propelled  by  one  power  vessel  is  the  cheapest  way 
of  moving  low  grade  bulk  freight.  Also  the  ease  with  which  the 
barges  are  loaded  and  unloaded,  thus  reducing  the  labor  require- 
ments at  the  terminals,  has  been  a  potent  factor  in  the  change. 
Barges  have  been  most  used  in  the  transportation  of  coal.  Not 
only  on  rivers,  but  on  canals,  particularly,  it  has  been  found  espe- 
cially adapted  to  the  carrying  of  bulk  freight  and  is  now  being 
used  successfully  by  the  Federal  Barge  Line  on  the  Mississippi 
River  for  miscellaneous  freight. 

Two  marked  changes  in  floating  equipment  on  interior  wa- 
terways came  about  in  the  period  following  1880.  One  was  an 
increase  in  the  size  of  the  barge,  and  the  other  an  increase  in  the 
number  of  small  gasoline  boats.  Many  of  these  small  boats  were 
pleasure  craft,  but  they  were  employed,  also,  in  all  kinds  of  work, 
in  freight  and  passenger  and  ferry  service,  and  In  towing.  If 
the  bargeload  was  too  heavy  for  one  boat,  two  or  more  were  used. 
Freight  was  carried  on  deck  and  on  flats  in  a  tow.^  Each  of  these 
boats  operated  over  a  short  distance,  but,  as  they  were  numerous 
and  cheaper  to  operate  than  steamboats,  they  made  substantial 
Inroads  on  the  steamboat  business,  which  was  already  showing  a 
considerable  decline.  The  bulk  of  the  freight  on  the  upper  Mis- 
sissippi is  now  carried  by  small  steam  and  gasoline  boats. 

The  heydey  of  the  packet  boat  has  passed.  A  number  still 
operate  on  short  sections  of  the  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries,  but 
a  large,  if  not  the  chief,  part  of  their  income  is  from  passengers 
during  the  excursion  season.  On  the  upper  Mississippi,  packet 
boats  are  being  remodeled  to  use  exclusively  in  the  excursion  busi- 
ness. The  usual  draft  for  loaded  boats  for  the  principal  classes  of 
traffic  ranges  from  three  and  one-half  to  six  feet,-  but  they  seldom 
require  full  depth,  there  not  being  enough  traffic  coming  to  them, 
as  a  rule,  to  load  them  heavily.    The  largest  packet  boat  on  the 


'"Preliminary  Report,  Inland  Waterways  Commission,"  Senate  Document 
325,  60  Cong.,  1  sess.,  98,  (1908). 

^Annual  Report  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  1924,  I,  145 1. 


267]  THE  CARGO  CARRIER  39 

Illinois  River  last  season  draws  a  full  draft  of  five  feet,  but  carries 
the  average  load  with  three  feet.  At  all  times  it  can  pass  with  ease 
through  the  Kampsville  lock,  which  limits  the  depth  on  the  Illinois 
waterways  as  the  plans  are  now.  The  fleets  of  the  Federal  Barge 
Line,  however,  would  be  excluded  by  the  Illinois  River  locks.  The 
self-propelled  barges  could  be  used,  if  not  too  heavily  loaded,  or 
tow-boats  with  smaller  barges  by  breaking  up  the  fleet  and  lock- 
ing each  barge  separately.  The  great  number  of  small  boats  could 
operate  without  difiiculty,  and  the  waterway  could  accommodate 
any  kind  of  craft  likely  to  develop  on  the  upper  Mississippi.  On 
the  Mississippi  below  Cairo  the  greatest  number  of  steamboats 
and  tugs  belong  to  the  class  drawing  from  four  to  six  feet,^  there- 
fore could  be  used  here.  The  barge  draft  is  somewhat  more  owing 
to  the  use  by  the  Federal  Barge  Line  of  the  2.000-ton  steel  barges 
drawing  nine  feet  of  water  when  loaded.  Boats  of  this  type  on  the 
Ohio  which  draw  more  than  seven  feet  constitute  only  three  per 
cent  of  all  craft  on  that  river.* 

Though  the  Illinois  Waterway  will  be  capable  of  accommo- 
dating the  greater  number  of  boats  now  in  use  on  the  interior 
rivers,  it  does  not  follow  that  any  one  of  them  is  the  type  best 
suited  to  it.  In  fact,  the  determination  of  the  type  of  craft  that  will 
give  highest  efficiency  on  any  waterway  seem.s  to  be  a  very  difii- 
cult  thing  to  reach.  This  matter  has  been  under  consideration  by 
the  Federal  Barge  Line  since  the  beginning  of  its  operation,  and 
they  are  still  making  changes  in  their  floating  equipment.^ 

\\  hile  the  deeper  draft  boats  are  more  economically  con- 
structed and  require  less  for  wages  and  repairs  in  proportion  to 
carrying  capacity,*'  there  are  several  advantages  in  smaller  boats. 
Less  money  is  tied  up  in  craft  that  can  not  be  used  the  year  round, 
or,  if  used  in  lighterage  business  elsewhere,  a  sm.all  barge  is  more 
convenient  than  very  large  ones.  Unless  engaged  in  through  trafhc 
exclusively,  the  delays  in  stopping  at  several  places  to  obtain  or 
deliver  cargo  would  absorb  whatever  saving  came  from  larger  size. 
Grain  is  more  liable  to  heating  and  coal  more  subject  to  breakage 

'Ibid.,  1923  and  1924.    Figures  for  various  sections. 
*Ibid.,  1922,  p.  949. 

"T.  Q.  Ashburn,  U.  S.  A.,  Waterways  anad  Inland  Seaports,  1925,  p.  26. 
"William   M.  Black,   "Waterway   and   Railway   Equivalents,"   Proc.  Amer. 
Soc.  cf  C.  Eng.,  L  (1924),  842. 


40  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [268 

when  loaded  into  very  large  barges,  and  smaller  barges  are  often 
more  convenient  for  the  shipper.  For  local  traffic  the  small  amount 
of  freight  handled  at  each  mooring  makes  the  use  of  larger  units 
more  expensive.  At  few  stops,  if  any,  could  a  full  load  be  obtained 
for  a  2,000-ton  barge,  and  the  deeper  draft  vessels  would  have 
difficulty  in  coming  close  enough  to  the  small  landings  to  permit 
the  use  of  the  gangplank. 

If  the  locks  in  the  Illinois  River  were  to  be  removed,  the  lim- 
iting factor  of  depth  would  be  the  seven  foot  channel  in  the  river; 
and  of  length  and  width,  the  locks  in  the  improved  Illinois  water- 
way. This  would  admit  of  one  towboat  and  two  barges  of  the 
length  and  width  of  the  standard  steel  barge  and  towboat  now 
being  used  by  the  Federal  Barge  Line  loaded  to  a  six-foot  depth, 
or  of  barges  of  equal  capacity  but  of  greater  length  and  less  depth. 
As  doubling  the  draft  approximately  doubles  the  resistance  to 
propulsion,  while  doubling  the  length  Increases  it  only  from  five 
to  ten  per  cent,  it  would  be  cheaper  to  use  a  larger  number  of 
light  draft  boats  in  tows  than  the  larger  draft  ones.  Moreover, 
for  most  economical  operation  It  has  been  found  that,  when  the 
waterway  is  to  be  used  by  boats  of  all  sizes,  the  depth  should  be 
twenty-five  per  cent  greater  than  the  maximum  draft  of  the  largest 
boat.''  A  seven  foot  waterway,  therefore,  would  limit  the  use  to 
boats  of  less  than  six  feet  draft.  With  the  completion  of  the  Fed- 
eral project  of  nine  feet  depth  on  the  Illinois,  barges  of  from  500 
to  1,000  tons,  which  draw  from  six  to  seven  feet  of  water  may  be 
used.  To  all  appearances  such  equipment  will  be  adequate  and 
suitable  for  the  service  to  be  performed. 


'Black,  op.  cit.,  p.  846. 


CHAPTER  IV 
TERMINALS 

The  essential  parts  of  a  water  transportation  line  are  (i)  the 
channel  along  which  the  cargo  is  carried,  (2)  the  floating  plant 
used  to  carry  the  cargo,  and  (3)  the  equipment  used  for  transfer- 
ence of  cargo  to  or  from  the  water  carrier  and  the  shore  or  another 
carrier.  The  last  is  referred  to  by  the  general  name  ''terminal 
facilities,"  and  includes  (i)  the  place  where  the  transshipment  is 
made,  (2)  the  machinery  or  appliances  by  which  the  transfer  is 
effected,  and  (3)  open  spaces  on  land  required  in  handling  the 
cargo,  and  elevators,  warehouses,  etc.,  used  for  the  storage  of  goods 
in  their  movement  to  or  from  the  waterway.  According  to  Herbert 
Knox  Smith,  the  four  prime  factors  in  a  good  water  terminal  are 
(i)  adequate  wharves,  (2)  warehouse  space  at  the  water  front, 
(3)  transshipping  machinery,  and  (4)  belt  railway  connection  be- 
tween general  water  traffic,  adjacent  railways,  and  local  indus- 
tries.^ 

From  the  first,  railroads  have  recognized  the  importance  of 
terminals,  and  have  spent  enormous  sums  in  providing  elaborate 
and  adequate  facilities  for  handling  the  cargo  carried,  the  expen- 
diture often  representing  almost  half  their  capital  investment." 
Expansion  during  the  last  decade,  especially,  has  been  along  this 
line.  Not  until  recently,  however,  has  a  similar  interest  been  taken 
in  water  terminals,  and  that  has  been  brought  about  largely 
through  the  realization  of  the  remarkable  decline  of  water-borne 
commerce  on  interior  v/aterways.  The  Federal  Government  has, 
for  years,  spent  large  sums  in  river  improvement  with  almost  no 
co-operation  by  the  localities  supposed  to  be  benefited.  So  marked 
has  been  this  neglect  that  United  States  engineers  have  repeatedly 
recommended  that  Federal  improvements  be  made  only  "upon 
present  or  future  assured  existence  of  adequate  terminals  provided 
by  localities"  and  by  them  kept  permanently  open  for  general 
benefit  of  users  of  that  channel.^   In  1910  transshipping  machinery 

'Herbert  Knox  Smith,  ''Water  Terminals,"  Proc.  Atlantic  Deeper  Water- 
ways Association,  1910,  p.  66. 

"Maj.  E.  C.  Church,  ''Weakest  Link  in  Transportation,"  Marine  Rev.,  LV 
(1925),  SO. 

^Smith,  op.  cit.,  p.  69. 

41 


42  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [Z'JO 

was  almost  entirely  lacking  throughout  the  entire  Mississippi  River 
system/  and  still  is  quite  inadequate. 

The  result  was  that,  while  railroads  were  lowering  their  rates 
and  increasing  their  speed  of  handling  and  haulage,  the  total  cost 
to  shippers  on  waterways  was  proportionately  increased  relative 
to  that  by  rail,  through  delays  at  terminals,  large  transfer  charges, 
and  damage  to  goods.  The  cost  of  transshipment  is  generally  as 
important  a  factor  in  determining  freight  rates  on  a  combined  land 
and  water  route  as  the  cost  of  transportation  by  the  separate  parts 
of  the  route.°  The  experience  of  the  Inland  Navigation  Company 
in  1916  illustrates  the  point.  According  to  C.  W.  Baker,  in  an  op- 
eration on  the  Mississippi  River  covering  a  period  of  sixteen 
months  their  charges  for  transfer  by  drayage,  switching,  etc.,  were 
$8,072,  and  stevedoring  and  other  terminal  expenses  were  $24,154. 
In  the  same  time  their  earnings  from  freight  were  $54,046.*'  Need- 
less to  say,  the  company  was  faced  by  deficits  and  ceased  operat- 
ing. It  is  said  that  the  terminal  charge  is  more  than  double  the 
cost  of  haulage  over  any  route. '^  New  York's  terminal  charges  are 
given  as  nearly  $250,000,000  a  year,  that  being  the  most  expensive 
terminal  in  the  world.  A  cost  of  about  $2.00  a  ton  for  unloading 
package  freight  on  a  Manhattan  pier,  50  to  60  cents  for  handling 
on  the  pier,  and  8  to  10  cents  a  hundred  for  hauling  through  the 
street  has  been  given.®  In  one  case  it  cost  more  to  cart  a  shipment 
of  grain  four  miles  through  the  city  streets  of  New  York  than  it 
did  to  transport  it  three  thousand  miles  across  the  Atlantic,  in- 
cluding the  marine  insurance  for  the  voyage.^  In  another  case  the 
cost  of  trucking  to  and  from  the  warehouse  in  Brooklyn  would 
have  returned  the  cargo  to  San  Francisco  by  way  of  the  Panama 
Canal.^° 


^Smith,  op  cit.,  p.  67. 

'Major  George  A.  Zinn,  "Terminal  Facilities  in  their  Relation  to  Waterway 
Improvement,"  Proj.  Memoirs,  Corps  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  Ill   (1911),  239. 

"Charles  W.  Baker,  '"What  is  the  Future  of  Inland  Water  Transportation?" 
Eng.  News-Record,  LXXXIV  (1920),  86. 

'Gordon  P.  Gleason,  "Waterways  Need  New  Terminals,"'  Marine  Rev.,  LII 
(1922),  439. 

^Edward  Hungerford,  Our  Railroads  Tomorrow,  1922,  p.  228. 

'Church,  op.  clt.,  p.  51. 

''Ibid.,  p.  so. 


271]  TERMINALS  43 

The  Federal  Barge  Line  has  found  the  same  thing  true  on 
the  Mississippi  River,  when,  with  inadequate  terminals,  39  cents 
out  of  every  dollar  earned  by  freight  carriage  was  expended  for 
terminal  charges.  It  cost  four  cents  a  ton  more  to  load  freight  on 
the  barge  at  St.  Louis  and  unload  it  at  New  Orleans  than  it  did 
to  haul  it  over  the  1,142  miles  of  river  intervening.^^  Moreover, 
losses  and  damage  to  freight,  caused  largely  by  crude  methods  of 
loading  and  unloading  amounted  to  eighteen  cents  for  every  ton 
of  freight  handled,  or  four  cents  of  every  dollar  earned.  Railroads, 
in  the  meantime,  suffered  from  this  cause  a  loss  of  only  about  two 
and  one-half  cents  on  the  dollar.^-  With  installation  of  modern 
equipment  and  greater  perfection  in  organization,  charges  have 
been  decreased.  The  year  1924  showed  a  drop  of  thirty-seven 
cents  a  ton  in  the  cost  of  handling  freight  at  terminals. 

The  cost  of  transfer  even  when  the  best  of  facilities  are  em- 
ployed is  ordinarily  from  fifty  cents  to  one  dollar  a  ton,  and  that 
of  trucking  is  from  one  to  two  dollars  a  ton  for  distances  of  a  mile 
or  less.  As  first  class  freight  can  be  carried  by  rail  at  from  three 
to  five  cents  a  ton-mile,  and  bulk  freight  at  from  five  to  eight  or 
nine  mills  per  ton-mile  for  distances  of  five  hundred  miles  or 
more,^^  any  saving  to  the  shipper  through  the  use  of  a  waterway 
apparently  must  come  through  reduction  of  transfer  charges  to  a 
minimum  by  the  use  of  modern  and  most  efficient  methods  at 
terminals.   However,  to  provide  such  facilities  is  expensive. 

A  notable  example  of  recent  attention  to  terminals  is  that  of 
the  state  of  New  York,  which  made  no  provision  for  them  in  the 
original  appropriation  for  the  New  York  Barge  Canal,  but  has 
subsequently  spent  nearly  twenty-five  million^^^  dollars  in  this 
way.^*  With  this  money  thirty-five  terminals  have  been  provided 
throughout  the  canal  system,  including  modern  covered  terminals 
of  concrete  and  brick  construction,  and  smaller  ones  of  wood, 
scattered  along  the  route.  Also  included  in  the  terminal  equipment 


"Development  of  Transportation  Facilities  on  Inland  Waterways  under 
Terms  of  the  Transportation  Act  of  1920,  Department  of  War,  1922,  p.  3. 

"^Ibid. 

""Water  Terminals  and  Transfer  Facilities,"  House  Document  109,  67 
Cong.,  1  sess.,  3  (1921), 

"•$24,713,832. 

"Annual  Report  of  Comptroller  on  Canals,  N.  Y.,  1924,  p.  12. 


44  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY        [2/2 

for  use  of  the  barge  canal  are  two  modern  concrete  grain  eleva- 
tors/^ and  freight  handling  machinery  has  been  installed  at  many 
points  ready  for  use.^*^ 

The  first  large  complete  municipal  river  terminal  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi is  the  one  constructed  by  St.  Louis  at  the  foot  of  North 
Market  Street  at  a  total  cost  of  $800,000.^^  It  consists  of  a  con- 
crete dock  with  a  frontage  of  890  feet,  equipped  with  locomotives 
and  cranes  for  handling  package  and  bulk  freight  except  grain.  It 
has  warehouses  for  storage,  and  connection  over  the  tracks  of  the 
Terminal  Association  with  all  trunk  railroads  entering  the  city. 
It  is  open  to  the  public  at  a  reasonable  charge.  At  present  it  is 
used  by  the  Federal  Barge  Line.  Among  other  examples  of  recent 
attention  to  terminal  problems  is  the  municipal  landing  dock  for 
handling  coal  and  other  bulk  materials  at  St.  Paul,  which  was  pro- 
vided at  a  cost  of  $119,000.^^ 

The  type  of  terminal  that  should  be  built  is  determined  by 
the  amount  of  business  to  be  conducted,  the  character  of  the  traffic, 
and  the  nature  of  the  waterway.  A  broad  rule  may  be  laid  down 
that  the  outlay  for  terminal  facilities  should  be  comparable  to  the 
annual  tonnage  of  receipts  and  shipments,  a  very  small  daily  ton- 
nage or  an  infrequent  large  cargo  warranting  only  primitive  facili- 
ties, while  a  large  daily  tonnage  of  package  or  bulk  freight  justifies 
the  installation  of  elaborate  and  expensive  terminals.  Installation 
of  terminal  facilities  generally  follows  demand.  Otherwise,  large 
sums  may  be  expended  for  an  expected  traffic  that  does  not  mate- 
rialize. This  is  the  case  in  the  state  of  New  York  in  connection 
with  the  Barge  Canal,  where  thousands  of  dollars  have  been  ex- 
pended in  the  construction  of  terminals  which  have  never  been 
used  and  in  installing  appliances  that  have  never  moved  a  pound 
of  freight.^**  Most  of  the  terminals  handle  very  little  freight,  and 
"some  have  never  had  a  single  pound  of  freight  in  them  since  the 

''Wilford  G.  Bartenfeld,  "Why  not  use  the  Barge  Canal?"  Marine  Rev., 
LV.,  (1925),  190. 

"F.  S.  Greene  and  R.  K.  Fuller,  The  Canal  System  of  New   York  State, 

1923,  p.  28. 

""Experimental  Towboats,"  House  Documejit  108,  67  Cong.,  I  sess.,  48, 
(1921). 

"^Ibid.,  p.  4-8. 

"Annual  Report  of  Superintendent  of  Department  of  Public  Works,  N.  Y., 

1924,  p.  16. 


273]  TERMINALS  45 

new  canal  has  been  in  commission. "-°  That  such  expenditure  of 
money  is  unwise  is  apparent. 

If  there  is  a  large  amount  of  freight,  however,  it  is  economy 
to  install  adequate,  even  if  expensive,  facilities  for  handling  it. 
The  labor-saving  appliances  in  use  in  the  ore  and  coal  trade  on 
the  Great  Lakes  is  a  case  in  mind,  where  the  huge  volume  of  busi- 
ness has  made  it  possible  to  invest  large  sums  of  money  in  efficient 
devices  for  rapid  handling,  the  saving  in  time  more  than  meeting 
the  expenditure.  It  is  said  that,  in  the  early  trade  in  iron  ore,  when 
it  was  transferred  by  men  shoveling  the  ore  into  wheeled  carts  or 
barrows,  the  cost  was  fifty  cents  per  ton,  whereas  the  use  of  the 
modern  grab  buckets  has  reduced  it  to  about  four  cents.^^  Similar 
statements  might  be  made  of  coal  and  grain.  It  is  the  ease  with 
which  mechanical  devices  may  be  employed  for  handling  bulk 
freight,  and  the  consequent  reduction  in  cost  of  transshipment, 
quite  as  much  as  the  cheaper  water  haul  that  so  much  is  said 
about,  that  has  made  it  possible  for  waterways  to  continue  to 
carry  this  kind  of  freight.  Along  the  Mississippi,  on  the  other 
hand,  concentrated  resources  that  justify  such  expensive  appli- 
ances do  not  exist.  From  one  end  of  the  Mississippi  system  to  the 
other  there  is  nothing  comparable  to  the  relation  existing  between 
the  iron  ore  mines  near  Lake  Superior  at  one  end  of  the  lake  route, 
and  the  bituminous  coal  deposits  of  the  Appalachian  region  at  the 
other.  Many  waterway  development  advocates  forget  this  most 
important  fact,  in  which  lies  the  explanation  of  why  the  Mississippi 
River,  in  spite  of  all  the  improvements  made  upon  it,  has  failed 
to  build  up  a  huge  volume  of  business  comparable  to  the  Great 
Lakes. 

On  a  waterway  like  the  Mississippi  a  large  part  of  the  poten- 
tial traffic  is  of  a  miscellaneous  character,  a  type  of  cargo  the 
transfer  of  which  presents  problems  the  most  difficult  for  the  ter- 
minal engineer  to  solve.  If  freight  is  all  of  one  kind,  such  as  ore, 
grain,  or  coal,  a  special  kind  of  design  may  be  used,  whereas  no 
one  terminal  can  be  designed  to  handle  all  sorts  of  freight  to  the 
best  advantage.  This  concerns  the  type  of  cargo  carrier,  also, 
barges  lending  themselves  readily  to  the  use  of  mechanical  appli- 


"Bartenfeld,  op.  cit. 

^House  Document  log,  p.  17. 


46  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY        [274 

ances,  while  the  packet  boat  does  not.  It  may  be  that  a  new  type 
of  carrier  for  package  freight  will  be  developed,  or  that  the  double- 
decked  barges  used  for  such  traffic  by  the  Federal  Barge  Line  will 
be  more  generally  adopted.  In  that  event,  the  custom  of  carrying 
a  combined  cargo  of  passengers  and  package  freight  will  be  given 
up  and  the  passenger  business  will  be  done  entirely  by  the  excur- 
sion steamer,  or  by  small  gasoline  boats. 

Disturbance  in  the  continuity  of  flow  must  also  be  considered 
and  provision  made  for  storage  of  those  commodities  having  a 
pronounced  seasonal  movement,  such  as  grain  and  coal.  In  the 
case  of  grain,  which  oflFers  great  fluctuation  in  supply  with  a  rather 
steady  and  regular  demand,  storage  houses  must  be  provided  as 
near  as  possible  to  the  source  of  supply,  from  which  that  com- 
modity can  be  fed  to  transportation  channels  in  a  rather  contin- 
uous and  regular  flow,  thus  easing  the  strain  on  agencies  of  trans- 
portation. Coal,  on  the  other  hand,  has  a  fairly  regular  supply, 
but  rather  pronounced  seasonal  demand,  therefore  should  be 
stored  as  close  as  possible  to  the  ultimate  consumer. 

Another  factor  affecting  the  construction  of  terminals  is  the 
nature  of  the  waterway.  The  physical  difficulties  arising  from  the 
great  fluctuation  in  the  water  level  of  rivers  is  very  hard  to  over- 
come, especially  in  the  Ohio,  where  the  difference  in  level  between 
high  and  low  water  may  amount  to  as  much  as  sixty  feet,  and  the 
water  line  at  high  water  may  be  from  three  hundred  to  one  thous- 
and feet  from  the  edge  at  low  water.^-  The  terminal  must  be 
usable  at  all  stages  of  the  river,  and  the  structure  must  not  inter- 
fere with  the  flow  at  flood.  At  the  same  time,  it  must  provide  a 
safe  landing  place  for  boats  and  traffic. 

To  take  care  of  variations  in  width  and  to  avoid  the  excessive 
expense  of  lift  entailed  by  low  water  with  a  fixed  wharf,  floating 
wharf-boats  have  been  most  generally  used.  This,  however,  does 
not  eliminate  the  difficult  and  expensive  haul  up  the  steep  river 
bank  from  the  water's  edge,  a  cost  which  is  too  great  for  carload 
lots.  This  slope  may  be  in  its  natural  state,  or  paved,  as  at  Beards- 
town  on  the  Illinois.  At  this  place  the  only  provision  for  landing 
is  the  paved  slope  of  the  river  bank  which  is  reached  from  the 
boat  by  means  of  the  gangplank.   At  many  of  the  smaller  places 

*^Baker,  op.  cxt.,  p.  139. 


2/5]  TERMINALS  47 

along  the  Illinois  and  the  Ohio,  only  the  unimproved  river  bank 
is  found,  which,  together  with  the  gangplank,  over  which  men's 
muscles  carry,  push,  or  roll  the  freight,  constitutes  the  terminal. 
If  there  is  a  warehouse  and  the  landing  place  is  on  a  bluff  flanked 
by  water  deep  enough  for  the  boat  to  come  close  alongside,  as  at 
Havana,  Illinois,  it  is  not  so  unfavorable.  Otherwise,  In  order  to 
protect  his  goods,  the  shipper  or  consignee  must  be  on  hand  with 
the  arrival  of  the  boat,  perhaps  reaching  it  through  the  precarious 
footing  offered  by  the  slimy  mud  slope.  Variations  in  width  with 
fluctuations  in  river  level  Is  eliminated  at  the  new  municipal  dock 
in  St.  Louis  by  vertical  landing  walls,  while  powerful  cranes  make 
the  lift  necessitated  by  low  water.  This  type  of  terminal  appears 
to  be  appropriate  where  traffic  Is  sufficient  to  warrant  the  required 
expenditure. 

For  the  best  use  of  terminals  the  nature  of  the  ownership 
and  control  Is  very  Important,  as  control  of  a  terminal  controls 
the  business.  The  situation  in  the  United  States  Is  dominated  by 
private,  rather  than  by  public,  ownership,-^  the  greatest  single  In- 
terest being  the  railroads.  This  Is  especially  marked  in  Chicago, 
where  there  are  no  public  docks,  wharves,  or  other  terminal  facili- 
ties "open  to  all  carriers  on  equal  terms"  on  the  main  Chicago 
River  or  its  branches,-*  while  most  railroads  entering  the  city  own 
or  control  dock  frontage  there,-^  and  one  railroad  owns  and  con- 
trols a  good  part  of  the  lake  frontage.  In  such  cases  the  railroads 
may  refuse  landing  place  or  use  of  terminals  to  water  carriers, 
thus  eliminating  entirely  traffic  on  the  waterway  unless  dockage 
privileges  can  be  obtained  elsewhere. 

Where  the  wharves  do  not  belong  to  the  navigation  companies 
wharfage  or  dockage  fees  must  be  paid,  the  amount  varying  greatly 
from  place  to  place.  Public  wharves  are  supposed  to  demand  only 
enough  for  maintenance,  though  it  must  have  often  exceeded  the 
sum  so  used,  as  there  has  been  little  evidence  of  expenditures  for 
maintenance.-*'  The  wharf  boats,  which  are  almost  always  pri- 
vately owned,  usually  base  their  charges  on  the  volume  of  busl- 

*^Smith,  op.  cit.,  p.  67. 

"Annual  Report  of  Chief  of  Engirieers,  U.  S.  A.,  1924,  I,  143 1. 
""Transportation  by  Water  in  the  United  States,"  Report  of  Commissioner 
of  Corporations,  III  (1909),  162. 
"^Ibid.,  p.  36. 


48  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [276 

ness,  the  amount  sometimes  being  so  high  as  greatly  to  hamper 
traffic.-^  The  significance  of  ownership  of  terminals  is  made  ap- 
parent by  the  statement  of  the  traffic  manager  of  the  Pittsburgh 
Chamber  of  Commerce.  He  claimed  that  charges  along  the  Ohio 
River  offset  the  lower  rates  of  water  transportation  as  compared 
with  those  by  rail  even  to  the  extent  of  causing  steamboats  to  pass 
by  small  towns  without  landing  at  all.^^  It  has  been  frequently  the 
case  that  charges  equaled  the  entire  amount  of  freight  rate  received 
from  that  landing.^^ 

Many  of  the  larger  terminals  are  owned  by  grain,  coal,  or 
lumber  companies,  and  various  kinds  of  industrial  concerns,  and 
utilized  for  their  own  special  purposes.  Among  the  large  industrial 
terminals  are  those  of  the  iron  and  steel  interests,  such  as  those 
located  at  South  Chicago,  These  private  terminals  are  not  open 
for  use  by  the  public. 

Terminals  Along  the  Illinois  Waterway 

On  the  Illinois  River,  recent  traffic  has  not  been  sufficient  to 
result  in  development  of  modern  terminal  facilities,  even  railroad 
connections  being  lacking  except  at  the  larger  towns  and  cities. 
Four  of  the  thirteen  principal  cities  and  towns  on  the  river  own 
no  dock  frontage,^''  and  five  of  those  owning  v/ater  frontage  have 
provided  no  improvements.  The  terminal  facilities  which  exist  are 
crude  and  inadequate.  Beardstown  and  Naples  use  paved  street 
ends  as  boat  landings,  and  Peru  is  the  only  town  owning  ware- 
house facilities,  so  far  as  is  known.^^  Peoria,  the  largest  city  on 
the  river,  has  paved  about  one  thousand  linear  feet  of  levee,  and 
in  April,  191 8,  voted  bonds  to  the  amount  of  $250,000  to  provide 
for  additional  terminal  facilities.  These  bonds  were  declared  illegal, 
however,  after  $25,000  had  been  expended,  and  all  work  ceased. 
Except  at  Peoria,  no  wharf  charges  are  made.-- 


"Smith,  op.  cit.,  p.  69. 

^"Transportation  by  Water  in  United  States,"  p.  155. 
'Ibid.,  p.  36. 

^"Annual  Report  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  1924,  p.  1449. 
""Water   Terminals    and   Transfer    Facilities,"    House   Document   652,   66 
Cong.,  2  sess.,  1733,  (1921). 
"Ibid. 


277]  TERMINALS  49 

Privately  owned  or  controlled  warehouses  are  found  at  various 
places  along  the  route,  such  as  those  of  the  Eagle  Packet  Company 
at  Hardin,  Crater,  Kampsvllle,  Webbs,  Naples,  Beardstown,  and 
Peoria,  and  those  at  ChlUIcothe,  Lacon,  Henry,  Hennepin,  and 
Peru,^^  used  by  the  La  Salle  and  Peoria  Packet  Company  when 
that  line  was  in  operation.  Many  of  these  are  old  and  in  poor 
condition.  Elevators  are  found  at  a  number  of  places,  the  one  at 
Pekin  being  the  largest  and  the  only  one  with  railroad  connections. 
Two  companies  operating  on  the  Illinois  River  between  Grafton  and 
the  Hennepin  Canal  collect  wheat  from  the  farmers  along  the  river 
and  carry  It  in  barges  to  Pekin  to  the  Pekin  Roller  Mills  to  be  made 
Into  flour,  or  to  ship  It  east  by  rail.  At  this  place  is  a  modern 
landing,  and  unloading  is  done  by  the  suction  process.  No  other 
mechanical  devices,  except  for  handling  grain,  are  provided  at  any 
of  the  terminals.  Barrels  are  rolled,  and  other  kinds  of  freight  are 
pushed  or  carried  on  to  and  off  the  packet  boats  by  deck  hands, 
who  also  drive  livestock  down  the  bank  and  on  to  the  deck,  or  off 
again.  There  are  no  public  warehouses  or  elevators  on  the  river 
open  to  all  carriers.^*  Of  the  sixty-one  landings  from  Peru  to  Graf- 
ton, seven  have  no  warehouses,  elevators,  or  other  equipment  to 
care  for  freight,  and  only  fifteen  have  direct  rail  connections.  In 
the  stretch  of  sixty-five  and  one-half  miles  of  river  between  Naples 
and  Grafton,  no  landing  has  rail  connection,  the  warehouse,  if  there 
is  one,  being  all  the  way  from  one-fourth  of  a  mile  to  seventeen 
miles  from  a  railroad.^^  Jollet,  like  other  river  towns  abov^e  Peru, 
has  no  waterway  or  freight  handling  device,  and  there  are  none 
along  the  Hennepin  Canal. 

The  range  between  high  and  low  water  on  the  Illinois  is  from 
nine  to  twenty  feet,^*^  and  not  more  than  ten  per  cent  of  the  land- 
ings along  the  river  are  easy  of  access  at  all  stages  of  water.  At 
very  high  stages  nearly  all  below  Beardstown  are  drowned  out, 
while  at  very  low  water  boats  can  not  get  near  enough  to  the  shore 
to  land.  Above  Beardstown  similar  difficulties  are  met  with  in 
low  water  as  far  as  Pekin,  but  high  water  conditions  are  better.^^ 

"Ibid.,  p.  1734. 

"'Water   Terminals    and   Transfer   Facilities,"    House   Document   226,   63 
Cong..  I  sess.,  (1913),  Table  following  p.  1038. 
'^^Hous£  Document  652,  p.  1732. 
''House  Document  226,  p.  1035. 


50  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [278 

The  landings  at  Beardstown,  Havana,  and  Pekin  are  too  high  to  be 
seriously  affected  by  high  water. 

Chicago  Terminals 

The  terminal  situation  at  Chicago  is  of  sufficient  importance 
to  have  occasioned  a  great  deal  of  discussion,  largely  because  of 
the  complexities  of  the  problem.  The  demands  of  a  great  city  for 
land  transportation  which  is  intolerant  to  interruptions  incident  to 
the  use  of  the  river  as  an  avenue  of  commerce,  the  complexity  of 
cargo,  as  to  kind,  destination,  and  use,  the  high  price  of  land  near 
the  river,  physical  difficulties  to  navigation  in  the  river  itself,  own- 
ership or  control  of  water  frontage,  plans  of  the  park  commission- 
ers and  clamors  of  the  city  inhabitants  for  the  same,  and  uncer- 
tainty as  to  the  city's  future  needs  have  combined  to  make  the 
problem  a  very  difficult  one  to  solve  satisfactorily. 

The  chief  point  of  difference  of  opinion  seems  to  be  the  proper 
place  for  Chicago's  future  harbor  and  the  question  of  closed  or 
open  bridges  over  the  Chicago  River.  If  bridges  are  closed,  all 
water  traffic  from  the  lake,  except  barges  and  lighters,  must  de- 
pend on  a  lake  front  harbor  already  included  in  the  plans.  This 
would  increase  the  expense  of  transportation  through  lengthened 
team  haulage,  a  condition  that  should  be  avoided  whenever  pos- 
sible, as  it  is  the  great  amount  of  traffic  passing  through  the  city 
streets  that  is  largely  responsible  for  the  conspicuous  congestion 
in  evidence  now.  While  a  lake  front  harbor  would  reduce  conges- 
tion in  the  vicinity  of  the  river,  it  would  create  a  similar  congestion 
in  streets  adjacent  to  the  lake.^^  It  is  claimed,  also,  that  a  harbor 
so  placed  would  be  inconvenient  for  traffic  from  the  Illinois  Water- 
way, and  that  it  would  divert,  rather  than  attract,  water-borne 
traffic  at  Chicago,  because  of  increase  in  lighterage  costs.  The 
great  proportion  of  the  traffic  that  is  destined  for  home  consump- 
tion would  also  made  a  terminal  centrally  located  more  practical, 
as  it  would  bring  the  commodities  closer  to  the  consumer. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  narrow,  crooked  channel  and  the 
troublesome  current  in  the  Chicago  River,  as  well  as  the  bridges, 
remain  as  a  handicap  to  navigation  at  the  best.    There  are  fifty- 

''"Chicago  Harbor  and  Adjacent  Waterways,  Survey  of  191 1,"  House  Doc- 
ument 2S7,  63  Cong.,  I  sess.,  61,  (1913). 


279]  TERMINALS  5I 

tv/0  bridges  over  the  Chicago  river  and  its  branches,  whose  opera- 
tion alone  costs  the  city  ^500,000  annually.  Major  Putnam  main- 
tains that  for  a  similar  expenditure  Chicago  could  build  and 
operate  terminals  on  the  lake  front  and  truck  all  existing  commerce 
to  and  from  the  existing  river  terminals  free  of  charge  and  make 
a  substantial  saving  thereby  over  continuance  of  movable  bridges. ^^ 

The  city  has  two  harbors  about  twelve  miles  apart,  Chicago 
Harbor,  and  South  Chicago,  or  Calumet  Harbor.  The  first  com- 
prises an  outer  basin,  consisting  of  the  mouth  of  the  river  and  a 
portion  of  the  foreshore  of  Lake  Michigan  enclosed  by  break- 
waters and  dredged  by  the  United  States  Government,  and  an 
inner  harbor,  composed  of  the  Chicago  River  and  its  branches 
(Figs.  3  and  4).  Extending  into  the  outer  basin  from  the  lake 
shore  a  short  distance  north  of  the  Chicago  River  is  the  Municipal 
Pier,  built  by  the  city  in  1914-1916  at  an  expense  of  more  than 
$4,500,000,*°  but  planned  and  used  more  as  a  place  of  recreation 
than  valued  as  a  commercial  asset.  There  is  no  mechanical  equip- 
ment for  loading  or  unloading  vessels,  and  the  only  railroad  by 
which  connection  can  be  made  with  the  city  is  the  Chicago  and 
Northwestern,  which  has  a  spur  track  within  1,000  feet  of  the 
pier.*^  The  only  part  of  the  lake  frontage  south  of  the  Chicago 
River  that  can  be  counted  on  for  commercial  use  is  that  adjoining 
the  river.  Beyond  this  lie  Grant  Park  and  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  property,  separating  the  city  from  the  lake. 

The  Chicago  River  and  its  branches  are  bordered  by  wharves, 
warehouses,  and  industrial  establishments.  Including  numerous 
slips,  there  is  a  total  wharfage  of  approximately  150.000  feet,  about 
one-half  of  which  is  used  by  private  interests  for  shipping  pur- 
poses. There  are  no  public  wharves  or  docks  along  the  river,  the 
terminals  being  owned  and  operated  by  steamboat  lines,  grain, 
coal,  and  lumber  companies,  and  various  other  interests,*-  Rail- 
roads own  or  otherwise  control  a  large  extent  of  water  frontage. 
The  busiest  portion  of  the  river  is  near  the  mouth  where  there  are 
advantages  for  the  concentration  of  the  passenger  and  fruit  busi- 

"'Major  R.  W.  Putnam,  "Chicago's  Need  for  a  Comprehensive  Water  Ter- 
minal Plan,"  Jour.  fV.  Soc.  Eng.,  XXVIII   (1922),  416. 

^''Municipal  Pier,  (Pamphlet  from  an  editorial  in  the  Ezening  Post),  p,  3, 

"House  Document  652,  p.  1713. 

"Jnnual  Report  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  1924,  I,  1430. 


CJ&V 


v^ 


^^ 


52  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [280 


Fig.  4.    Chicago  Waterways 

ness,  the  latter  being  especially  important  at  Chicago  due  to  the 
advantages  of  lower  night  temperatures  and  less  jarring  by  lake 
than  by  rail.  In  extent  the  available  docks  are  more  than  sufficient 
for  existing  commerce,*^  but  almost  entirelv  lacking  in  mechanical 


ii 


^Annual  Report  of  Chief  of  Eng'uieers,  U.  S.  J.,  1924.  I,  143 1. 


i8i 


TERMINALS 


53 


equipment  for  handling  freight,  the  grain  elevators  and  a  few  coal 
handling  plants  being  the  only  places  so  provided.  There  is  no 
place,  however,  where  coal  may  be  unloaded  from  a  railway  train 
to  a  barge  or  lake  vessel.**  The  public  docks  on  each  side  of  the 
Sanitary  Canal  are  leased  by  the  Sanitary  District  to  industrial 
concerns. 

Chicago's  second  harbor  lies  near  the  Illinois-Indiana  state 
boundary  behind  the  Calumet  breakwater  at  South  Chicago  and 
in  the  Calumet  River.  It  is  almost  entirely  industrial,  except  for 
the  transfer  of  grain  from  rail  to  lake,  a  trade  which  has  grown 
at  the  expense  of  Chicago  Harbor  proper  (Fig.  12).  The  prefer- 
ence in  favor  of  this  harbor  is  the  result  of  the  navigation  difficul- 
ties of  the  Chicago  River. *^  Since  1890  the  increase  of  waterborne 
commerce  in  this  district  has  been  quite  as  conspicuous  as  the  de- 
cline in  the  other  (Table  III),  due,  in  large  part,  however,  to  the 
development  of  the  iron  and  steel  industry  rather  than  to  any 
other  factor. 

TABLE  III.— LAKE  COMMERCE  AT  CHICAGO^* 


Chicago 

Harbor, 

Year        including 

Chicago 

River 

Tons 

1890 7,209,514 

1891 7,214,765 

1892 8,412,992 

1893 7,958,963 

1894 7,209,236 

1895 7,205,942 

1896 6,347,163 

1897 7,149,759 

1898 7,391,454 

1899 6, 189,365 

1900 5,873,070 

1901 6,184,242 

1902 5,184,792 

1903 6,105,553 

1904 4,446,071 

1905 5,388,986 

1906 5,011 ,786 


Calumet 

Chicago 

Harbor 

Harbor 

and 

Year 

and 

River 

River 

Tons 

Tons 

1,796,401 

1907.. . 

..   4,980,123 

2,066,751 

1908. . . 

..    4,025,170 

I ,822,907 

1909.. . 

. .    4,224,655 

903,397 

1910. . . 

••    4,273,304 

1,436,897 

1911 . .  . 

••   4,025,576 

2,857,750 

1912. . . 

••    3,644,745 

2,973,724 

1913.. . 

■•    3,829,442 

3,493,218 

1914.. . 

. .   3,780,509 

4,117,526 

1915.. . 

• •   3,259,170 

3,229,874 

1916. . . 

••    2,439,381 

3,783,674 

1917..  • 

. .    1,900,687 

3,995,277 

1918. .  . 

■■    1,925,633 

4,454,428 

1919-. • 

. .    1,631,620 

4,742,225 

1920. . . 

. .    1,527,265 

3,728,260 

1921. .  . 

••    2,632,343 

4,530,394 

1922. . . 

..    2,857,521 

5,290,326 

1923.. . 

■•    1,982,393 

Calumet 

Harbor 

and 

River 

Tons 

6,430,347 
5,932,153 
6,155,104 

7,254,317 

6,607,996 

8,318,838 

9,445,878 

6,549,576 

6,968,660 

10,308,735 

10,269,304 

10,594,123 

8,574,542 

10,392,490 

6,215,989 

9,680,155 

II  ,916,65  I 


"M.  G.  Barnes,  '"The  Waterway  Terminal  Situation  in  Illinois,"  Jour.  W. 
Sac.  Eng.,  XXVIII  (1922),  407. 

*^Annual  Report  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  1924,  p.  1436. 
*^^Ati7iual  Report  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  1924,  II,  11 29,  11 32. 


54  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [282 

Industrial  plants  occupy  about  thirty-three  per  cent  of  the 
river  banks,  two  of  the  largest  belonging  to  the  Illinois  Steel  Com- 
pany and  the  Iroquois  Iron  Company,  whose  plants  occupy  the 
lake  shore  frontage  and  entrance  of  the  river,  and  the  west  and 
east,  respectively,  as  far  as  the  Elgin,  Joliet,  and  Eastern  Railway 
bridge,  with  the  exception  of  450  linear  feet  reserved  by  the  Engi- 
neer Department.**'  The  terminals  belonging  to  these  companies 
are  adequately  equipped  for  the  handling  of  iron  ore,  flux  stone, 
and  coal,  and  are  exclusively  used  in  the  transaction  of  the  owners' 
business.  Between  the  Elgin,  Joliet,  and  Eastern  Railway  bridge 
and  The  Forks  there  is  a  wharfage  of  about  45,800  feet,  including 
fourteen  slips  and  dry  docks, *^  used  for  various  purposes,  such  as 
the  handling  of  grain,  coal,  ore,  sand,  and  for  shipbuilding.  A 
variety  of  large  industrial  concerns  are  located  in  this  district,  as 
well  as  numerous  grain  elevators.  The  elevator  belonging  to  the 
Armour  Grain  Company  has  a  capacity  of  6,000.000  bushels,  and 
is  reported  to  be  the  largest  in  the  world.*^  The  terminals  for 
handling  bulk  commodities  are  considered  adequate  for  all  existing 
commerce  and  capable  of  such  expansion  as  probable  future  needs 
may  require.  There  are,  however,  no  public  wharves,  though  the 
recent  permission  (Dec,  1922)*^  by  the  Secretary  of  War  to  the 
city  of  Chicago  to  create  an  industrial  harbor  in  Lake  Calumet 
will  offer  opportunity  for  such. 

An  essential  factor  for  a  successful  water  terminal  is  favorable 
relations  with  railroads,  for  little  waterborne  commerce  has  for  its 
origin  and  destination  places  close  to  the  waterway.  Not  only 
through  bills  of  lading  and  joint  rates,  but  adequate  and  prompt 
car  service,  are  required  if  the  waterway  is  to  secure  any  appre- 
ciable share  of  the  total  traffic  to  be  carried.  Chicago,  with  its 
twenty-six  trunk  lines  and  ten  or  more  belt  lines,  can  not  be  said 
to  be  lacking  in  railroad  transportation  facilities,  though  the  service 
rendered  may,  at  times,  leave  much  to  be  desired.  The  docks  on 
the  West  Fork  of  the  Chicago  River  are  connected  with  every  rail 
carrier  entering  the  city  of  Chicago  by  means  of  the  Chicago  River 
and   Indiana  Railway  Company,  which  engages  to  perform  the 

**Jnnual  Report  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  1924,  II,  1433. 

"Ibid.,  p.  1436. 

^Hoiise  Document  652,  p.  1727. 

**Annual  Report  of  Chief  c/  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  1924,  p.  1436. 


283]  TERMINALS  55 

service  of  loading  and  unloading,  transfer  and  switching,  for  lake 
and  rail  lines  through  its  terminal  on  the  south  side  of  the  West 
Fork.  The  facilities  are  said  to  be  efficient  for  the  interchange  of 
freight.^*'  Down  river  points  are  also  brought  into  touch  with  this 
point  through  a  car  ferry  barge  controlled  by  the  same  company. 

The  Calumet  commercial  district  is  served  by  several  belt  and 
switching  Hnes,  among  which  are  the  Chicago  Terminal  and  Trans- 
fer Railroad  and  the  Chicago  and  Western  Indiana  Railroad.  An 
extreme  outer  belt  line  is  furnished  by  the  Elgin,  Joliet,  and  East- 
ern Railway,  which  extends  from  Gary  around  the  west  side  of 
Chicago  to  Waukegan  on  the  north,  circumscribing  what  is  known 
as  the  Chicago  Switching  district,  with  its  clearing  yards  and  its 
multiplicity  of  tracks  (Fig.  5).  The  belt  line  railroads,  however, 
are  engaged  primarily  in  facilitating  the  interchange  of  freight 
between  the  eastern  and  western  trunkline  railways,^^  only  in  ex- 
ceptional cases  serving  the  water  front.  Lack  of  co-ordination  of 
competing  rail  lines  and  use  of  inefficient  methods,  also,  leads  to 
congestion  of  traffic  in  this  area  to  such  an  extent  that  the  average 
time  spent  in  Chicago  by  a  freight  car,  exclusive  of  train  move- 
ments, has  been  estimated  as  high  as  fifty-eight  hours.^- 

The  relation  of  Chicago's  terminal  problem  to  the  Illinois 
Waterway  is  determined  by  the  kind  and  amount  of  traffic  likely 
to  be  carried  over  it.  This  is  now  a  matter  of  conjecture,  but  a 
study  of  the  present  commerce  of  Chicago  which  offers  most 
promise  of^interest  in  the  waterway  may  throw  some  light  on  the 
subject. 

The  advantage  of  the  Calumet  district  in  cheap  land  for  sites, 
ease  of  navigation  on  the  Calumet  River,  and  excellent  rail  facili- 
ties will  attract  the  iron  and  steel  industry  to  this  section  in  the 
future,  as  in  the  past,  and  will  tend  to  prevent  any  important 
trade  in  iron  ore,  limestone,  and  coal  for  this  use  in  the  Chicago 
River,  Grain  is  the  only  outbound  bulk  commodity  carried  by  the 
ordinary  bulk  freighter,^^  and  that  trade  is  being  diverted  more 

""■'Ports  of  the  United  States,"  Miscellaneous  Series,  No.  33,  Bureau  of  For- 
eign and  Domestic  Commerce,  1916,  p.  346. 

'^Ibid. 

"Sixth  Annual  Report  of  Illinois  Division  of  Waterways,   1923,  p.  36. 

"E.  0.  Griffenhagen,  '"Water-Borne  Commerce  of  the  Chicago  Region  and 
its  Requirements,"  Jour.  W.  Soc.  Eng.,  XXX  (1925),  200. 


56  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF   THE   ILLINOIS   WATERWAY         [284 


Fig.  5.     Railroads  of  Metropolitan  Chicago 


285]  TERMINALS  57 

and  more  from  the  Chicago  River  to  Calumet  Harbor  by  the  ad- 
vantages of  the  latter  (Fig.  12).  All  the  elevators  in  the  Calumet 
district  are  adequately  equipped  for  handling  both  rail  and  water 
traffic.  The  receipts  are  practically  all  by  rail  and  rail  shipments 
exceed  those  by  water. ^^  The  increasing  tendency  of  through  grain 
shipments  to  avoid  the  congested  Chicago  district,  together  with 
the  ultimate  decrease  in  volume  of  grain  handled,  as  home  con- 
sumption reduces  the  amount  of  grain  exported,  will  probably 
relieve  the  Chicago  River  of  this  commodity.  Stone  from  the 
Drainage  Canal,  and  probably  sand  and  gravel  from  the  Illinois 
Waterway,  will  be  furnished  Chicago,  but  these  commodities  are 
best  carried  by  barge  and  require  only  very  primitive  mechanical 
appliances  for  handling.  Small  portable  cranes  for  unloading 
barges  of  stone  would  probably  suffice. ^^  Lumber  traffic  is  unim- 
portant, and  involves  no  special  type  of  terminal  equipment.  As 
there  is  no  prospect  of  any  appreciable  revival  of  this  trade,  it  does 
not  warrant  any  special  provision  for  the  future.  The  greater  part 
of  the  hard  coal  entering  the  Chicago  district  is  brought  in  box 
cars  on  their  return  from  taking  grain  east.  That  coming  by  lake 
is  unloaded  at  docks  along  the  Chicago  River,  or  at  South  Chicago 
for  reshlpment  by  rail  to  neighboring  points.  These  docks  are  not 
the  most  modern,  but  have  a  "capacity  and  speed  adequate  to 
secure  fairly  advantageous  lake  rates."^*^  The  cost  of  unloading 
at  one  such  has  been  figured  to  be  about  fifty  cents  a  ton.°^  Con- 
sumption of  hard  coal  Is  declining,  and,  as  difficulties  of  handling 
smaller  amounts  become  more  marked  with  decrease  in  traffic,  the 
hard  coal  trade  by  water  will  probably  soon  become  a  negligible 
Item.  Soft  coal,  on  the  other  hand,  is  being  consumed  in  ever  in- 
creasing amounts  in  the  Chicago  district,  and  it  Is  the  commodity 
that  Is  expected  to  furnish  the  largest  item  for  transportation  on 
the  Illinois  Waterway.  For  reasons  discussed  in  Chapter  VI,  It  is 
the  writer's  opinion  that  a  much  smaller  amount  will  pass  over 
the  waterway  than  Is  generally  estimated.  If  the  barge  line  is  ex- 
tended to  Chicago,  It  is  probable  that  the  Standard  Oil  Company 
will  take  advantage  of  any  opportunity  It  offers  for  the  transpor- 

"Griffenhagen,  op.  cit.,  p.  199. 
''Ibid.,  p.  194. 
'"Ibid.,  p.  200. 
"Ibid. 


58  THE  CEONOMIC   ASPECTS   OF   THE    ILLINOIS   WATERWAY         [286 

tation  of  barreled  oil  and  case  goods,  but,  as  no  extensive  water 
movement  of  their  commodities  is  now  contemplated,^*  this  matter 
requires  no  particular  consideration,  in  so  far  as  terminals  are 
concerned.  Barreled  apples  from  Calhoun  county,  also,  now  car- 
ried by  water  to  St.  Louis,  might  then  move  by  the  barge  line  to 
a  better  market  in  Chicago. 

The  remaining  freight  that  is  most  involved  in  the  problem 
of  terminals  is  that  of  a  miscellaneous  character,  a  type  which,  for 
Chicago,  as  a  whole,  will  increase  with  the  growth  of  the  city. 
Food,  clothing,  furnishings,  luxuries,  etc.,  will  be  In  Increasing  de- 
mand, the  amount  that  Is  carried  by  water  being  determined  by 
the  relative  ease  and  cost  of  reaching  the  ultimate  consumer.  The 
problem  is  to  reduce  the  expenditure  of  time  and  money  In  making 
the  transfer  from  the  rail  or  water  terminal  to  the  point  of  con- 
sumption, which  Is  accomplished  by  more  rapid  and  efficient 
handling  and  reduction  of  street  haulage.  At  present  such  traffic 
Is  handled  without  spclal  unloading  equipment,  the  cargo  being 
moved  by  hand  trucks  with  the  typical  stevedoring  rate  for  pack- 
age freight  at  Chicago  of  about  seventy  cents  a  ton.^^  It  is  now 
largely  a  lake  front,  or  river  mouth  commerce,  though  Interlake 
lines  unload  small  quantities  of  freight  at  various  points  along  the 
river,  and  carry  very  considerable  quantities  to  and  from  railroad 
docks  In  South  Branch,  where  interchange  between  lake  and  rail 
Is  made.  It  Is  probable  that  a  portion  of  this  traffic  will  find  use 
of  the  waterway  profitable.  Through  traffic  of  this  kind,  however, 
like  bulk  freight,  might  well  be  diverted  from  the  congested  center 
of  the  city  to  the  South  Chicago  terminal  for  transshipment.  Only 
eight  to  nine  per  cent  of  the  package  freight  of  Chicago  is  carried 
by  water,*'°  and  It  Is  doubtful  If  lake  commerce  of  this  kind  in- 
creases relative  to  that  carried  by  rail.  Large  concerns,  such  as 
Marshall  Field  and  Company  and  Carson,  PIrie,  Scott  and  Com- 
pany, dry  goods  dealers,  and  W.  M.  Hoyt  and  Company,  whole- 
sale grocers,  who  have  locations  on  South  Branch,  and  Montgom- 

"Communication  from  traffic  manager  of  the  Standard  Oil  Company,  Janu- 
ary, 1927. 

^"Griffenhagen,  op.  cit.,  p.  199. 

'"Report  of  Chicago  Board  of  Trade,  1924,  p.  112,  gives  receipts  of  un- 
classified freight  by  lake;  '"Chicago  Facts,"  Report  of  Chicago  Association  of 
Commerce,  1921,  p.  9,  gives  rail  receipts  and  shipments  of  package  freight. 


287]  TERMINALS  "  59 

ery  Ward  and  Company,  mail  order  firm,  on  North  Branch,  may 
find  continued  use  of  the  river  profitable.  Their  trade  is  in  high 
value  goods,  rather  than  in  cheap  and  bulky  freight,  and,  for  the 
most  part,  that  which  comes  by  lake  can  probably  stand  lighterage 
from  a  lake  front  terminal  to  their  river  docks.  The  interlake 
package  freight  lines  that  bring  coffee,  sugar,  textiles,  and  other 
eastern  and  import  products  westward  carry  on  their  return  grain 
and  flour  and  other  millstuffs  obtained  at  railway  docks  on  the 
Chicago  River,  but  not  originating  there.*^^  If  the  grain  is  routed 
through  the  South  Chicago  Harbor,  it  is  probable  that  the  grain- 
carrying  vessels  will  no  longer  find  it  profitable  to  call  at  the  Chi- 
cago River  district. 

In  addition  to  the  lake-front  harbor,  if  such  is  decided  upon, 
terminal  facilities  should  be  provided  for  traffic  along  the  Illinois 
Waterway,  and  should  include  provisions  for  exchange  of  freight 
between  the  barge  line  and  lake  and  rail.  While  barge  traffic 
destined  for  lake  transportation  would  pass  on  through  the  city 
to  the  lake  front  terminal,  or  be  routed  by  way  of  a  belt  railway 
or  the  Sag  Channel  to  the  South  Chicago  harbor,  that  intended 
for  consumption  in  the  city  should  be  unloaded  at  a  point  as  con- 
venient to  the  consumer  as  present  conditions  allow.  For  inter- 
change between  barge  and  rail,  though  it  is  doubtful  if  such  be 
needed,  a  location  immediately  west  of  Ashland  Avenue  Bridge 
over  the  West  Fork  of  the  Chicago  River  offers  advantages 
(Fig.  4).  From  this  point  rail  connections  can  be  made  with  any 
rail  line  through  the  Chicago  River  and  Indiana  Railroad,  and 
with  the  downtown  district  by  truck  through  South  Ashland 
Avenue.'^'-  For  package  freight  a  greater  number  of  smaller  ter- 
minals would  be  more  desirable  than  one  or  two  larger  ones,  as 
by  this  means  freight  could  be  unloaded  closer  to  its  ultimate 
destination  and  the  expensive  haul  through  the  congested  city 
streets  reduced.  At  the  junction  of  North  with  South  Branch  at 
Lake  Street,  and  at  the  North  Avenue  turning  basin  in  the  North 
Branch,  where  it  is  joined  by  the  North  Branch  Canal  are  other 
locations  selected  as  suitable  for  transfer  of  miscellaneous  freight. ^^ 

'"Griffenhagen,  op.  cit.,  p.  195. 

''Sixth  Annual  Report  of  Illinois  Division  of  JVaterzvays,  1923,  p.  53. 

""Illinois  and  Mississippi  Rivers  and  Diversion  of  Water  from  Lake  Mich- 
igan," Hearings  before  the  Committee  on  Rivers  and  Harbors,  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives, 67  Cong.,  2  sess.,  40,  (1922). 


60  THE   GEONOMIC  ASPECTS   OF   THE    ILLINOIS   WATERWAY         [288 

It  is  possible,  also,  that  docks  now  in  existence  could  be  used  much 
more  extensively  if  satisfactory  arrangements  could  be  made  with 
those  in  control  of  them.  If  one  yard  of  dock  frontage,  with  proper 
appliances,  has  a  capacity  of  i,ooo  tons  of  freight  per  annum,  as 
has  been  estimated,"*  it  is  apparent  that  the  extent  of  dockage 
along  the  Chicago  River  and  its  branches  (page  51)  is  ample  to  care 
for  all  the  waterborne  commerce  of  Chicago  for  many  years  to 
come.  For  protection  of  goods  awaiting  transfer  or  delivery,  storage 
houses  are  needed  and  must  be  provided  where  they  do  not  now 
exist.  The  mechanical  equipment  required  would  depend  on  the 
amount  and  nature  of  the  cargo.  If  the  Federal  Barge  Line  service 
is  extended  to  Chicago,  provision  for  handling  a  considerable  vol- 
ume of  package  freight  may  be  required.  At  this  place  a  terminal 
of  similar  capacity  and  equipment  to  that  at  St.  Louis  could  be 
provided  at  a  somewhat  lower  cost,  as  the  problem  of  changing 
river  level  would  not  have  to  be  met. 

Calumet  Harbor  is  at  present  adequately  equipped  for 
existing  commerce,  though  there  are  no  public  terminals.  How- 
ever, if  it  is  made  the  chief  transshipping  point  of  through  traffic 
between  the  east  and  west,  further  provision  v/ould  have  to  be 
made,  especially  for  package  freight.  Ample  facilities  for  all  kinds 
of  traffic  could  be  created  if  the  Lake  Calumet  plan  previously 
mentioned  (page  54)  is  developed,  but  the  city  should  take  warning 
and  act  before  the  Chicago  River  history  is  repeated.  Bridges 
have  not  yet  become  numerous  enough  to  be  troublesome,  though 
as  early  as  1909  there  were  eighteen  crossing  the  Calumet  River,''^ 
six  of  which  permitted  the  passage  of  boats.  Available  land  would 
be  provided  by  the  Lake  Calumet  project  of  dredge  and  fill,  but 
the  approach  must  also  remain  open  from  both  sides  to  safeguard 
commercial  interests.  The  planning  of  the  future  of  this  harbor  is 
one  of  the  tasks  of  the  port  board  that  can  not  afford  too  long 
delay. 

The  paucity  of  terminals  along  the  Illinois  Waterway  has  been 
noted  (page  48).  However,  to  state  with  any  degree  of  accuracy 
the  future  terminal  requirements  without  a  careful  consideration 
of  the  amount  and  nature  of  traffic  likely  to  use  the  waterway  is 

^^Ilouse  Document  257,  p.  53. 

*'George  A.  Tunell,  "Chicago  Harbor  Commission,"  Report  to  Mayor  and 
Aldermen,  1909,  p.  46. 


289]  TERMINALS  61 

impossible.  If  grain  is  brought  by  the  farmers  all  along  the  way 
for  transportation  on  the  waterway,  elevators  must  be  provided. 
There  were  eleven,**^  mostly  small,  in  19 13  in  the  222^  miles  be- 
tween Peru  and  Grafton.**'  If  coal  is  brought  to  the  industries  of 
the  river  towns  by  water,  docks  and  coal  handling  devices  must 
be  installed.  If  manufacturers  along  the  route  bring  some  of  their 
raw  materials  and  ship  some  of  the  products  of  their  industry  by 
boat,  proper  provision  must  be  made  for  handling  the  cargoes.  It 
is  more  than  325  miles  from  Lake  Michigan  to  the  Mississippi 
River  by  the  water  route,  and  in  the  ninety  miles  above  La  Salle 
there  are  absolutely  no  facilities  for  exchange  of  traffic  between 
land  and  water,  with  the  exception  of  the  primitive  arrangements 
for  the  handling  of  stone  and  oil  on  the  Drainage  Canal.  The 
Hennepin  Canal  is  likewise  deficient.  The  question  that  arises, 
therefore,  is,  "Who  is  to  provide  these  necessary  facilities?"  As  a 
rule,  returns  must  be  more  certain  before  private  capital  is  at- 
tracted to  such  a  use.  It  would  be  extremely  unwise,  also,  for  the 
state,  or  any  other  public  agency,  to  expend  any  considerable  sum 
of  money  for  terminal  facilities  that  might  never  be  used.  To 
avoid  a  repetition  of  the  experience  of  the  state  of  New  York  with 
its  Barge  Canal,  it  would  be  well  for  public  authority,  before 
spending  money  for  terminal  facilities,  to  ascertain  by  some  sub- 
stantial assurance  by  the  prospective  users  of  the  waterway  that 
traffic  will  be  forthcoming  to  make  proper  use  of  such  facilities  as 
shall  be  provided.  Moreover,  to  be  reliable  this  assurance  must 
be  based  on  a  careful  and  intelligent  consideration  of  the  advan- 
tages and  disadvantages  of  the  utilization  of  the  waterway,  in  order 
that  a  reasonable  and  more  than  tentative  decision  may  be  reached. 
Such  a  study  will  be  attempted  in  Chapter  VI. 


""Eighteen  in  1921.   House  Document  652,  op.  cit.,  pp.  1754-1756  (Table). 
See  page  119. 

''House  Document  226. 


CHAPTER  V 

LAND  TRANSPORTATION  FACILITIES 

The  Railroad  Situation 

Much  has  been  said  in  recent  years  of  the  need  of  waterways 
to  supplement  the  railroads,  which,  at  times,  have  evidenced  their 
inability  to  care  for  the  ever  increasing  amount  of  traffic  of  the 
country.  Since  1913  the  railroads  have  failed  to  keep  pace  in  con- 
struction of  road  with  the  growth  of  population,  and  have  barely 
held  their  own  in  proportion  of  mileage  to  area^  (Fig.  7).  The 
population  per  mile  of  line  in  1913  was  389,  in  1918  it  was  416, 
and  on  Dec.  31,  1924,  454.-  The  ton  mileage  of  the  country  in 
1923  was  one  third  more  than  ten  years  before,  but  the  railroad 
mileage  was  slightly  less.  Periodically  serious  complaint  has  come 
from  car  shortages,  and  delays  due  to  congested  traffic.  In  1906 
there  was  a  shortage  of  motive  power  and  equipment,  resulting  in 
embargoes  and  blockades  which  were  disastrous  to  industry.^  At 
this  time  the  grain  west  of  the  Mississippi  and  the  Missouri  lay 
piled  on  the  open  prairie  adjoining  railroad  stations  awaiting  facil- 
ties  for  transporting  it.*  Again  in  1916  a  record  year  of  production 
found  the  railroads  unable  to  care  for  it  expeditiously.  Freight  car 
shortages  during  the  fall  of  this  year  reached  more  than  100,000.^ 
The  climax  in  the  railroad  situation,  however,  came  in  October  of 
1922  when  car  shortages  numbered  nearly  180,000,®  and  the  rail- 
roads were  unable  to  handle  all  the  freight  offered  to  them.^  Nev- 
ertheless, they  were  carrying  more  than  in  any  corresponding 
period  before.  LTnsatisfactory  conditions  continued,  though  some- 
what abated  with  progress  of  time,  until  July,  1923,^  No  shortage 
has  been  reported  since.    The  difficulties  mentioned  above  were 

^Slason  Thompson,  Railzvay  Statistics,  1923,  p.  24. 

'^Ibid.,  1924,  p.  27. 

'"Program  of  Railroad  Legislation,"  National  Transportation  Conference, 
1919,  p.  122. 

*lbid. 

^Thompson,  op.  cit.,  1924,  p.  48. 

*"'The  Present  Railroad  Situation,"  National  Industrial  Conference  Board, 
1923,  p.  2. 

'S.  M.  Felton,  "The  Railroad  Question,  1923,  p.  3,  (Pamphlet). 

'■'The  Present  Railroad  Situation,"  p.  8. 

62 


291]  LAND   TRANSPORTATION    FACILITIES  63 

due  to  shortage  of  all  facilities  rather  than  to  lack  of  cars  alone, 
as  inadequate  terminal,  yard,  trackage,  shop,  and  engine-house 
facilities  all  contributed  toward  the  final  result.^ 

There  are  several  reasons  for  this  unsatisfactory  state  of  af- 
fairs. It  is  to  be  noted  that,  while  the  volume  of  traffic  to  be  car- 
ried in  the  country  shows  a  steady  upward  trend  from  decade  to 
decade,  figures  for  consecutive  years  show  great  fluctuations  (Ta- 
ble IV).     In  1906  and  1907  traffic  congestion  came  at  the  close  of 


TABLE  IV.— NUMBER  OF  TONS  CARRIED  ONE  MILE  BY 
RAILROADS  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES^" 

1905 186,463,109,510  191 5«b 276,830,302,723 

1906 215,877,551,241  I9i6«b 343.099,937,805 

1907 236,601,390,103  1917 394,040,446,000 

1908' > 218,381,554,802  191 8 408,011,453,783 

1909* 218,802,986,929  191 9 375,884,209,204 

1910* 255,016,910,451  1920 411,151,190,797 

191 1' 253,783,701,839  1921 307,878,491,163 

1912* 264,080,745,058  1922 341,108,361,727 

ig^s^l 301 ,398,752,108       1923 414,347,458,627 

^9U'''' 288,319,890,210    1924 390,454,659,964 

1905-1916,  fiscal  years,  ending  June  30,   1917-1924,  calendar  years. 
"Excludes  figures  of  switching  and  terminal  companies. 
''Classes  I  and  II  only. 


a  ten  year  period  of  unprecedented  industrial  and  commercial  ex- 
pansion, during  which  the  volume  of  freight  carried  by  the  rail- 
roads had  increased  by  two  and  one-half  times.^^  Then  came  the 
panic  of  the  fall  of  1907,  which  converted  the  shortage  of  the  three 
previous  months  into  a  surplus  of  more  than  200,000  cars  by  De- 
cember (Fig.  6).  From  this  time  until  1916  the  service  was  reason- 
ably adequate,  judged  on  the  basis  of  car  shortages.  Since  the  fall 
of  1916  there  have  been  four  periods  of  car  shortage.  The  most 
marked  periods  have  been  from  the  fall  of  1916  to  May,  191 8, 
the  war  period,  and  in  1920^  owing  to  abnormal  conditions  inci- 
dent to  the  war,  and  in  the  fall  of  1922.  A  combination  of  condi- 
tions was  responsible  for  the  inadequacy  of  the  railroads  in  the 
last  named  period.  The  twenty-six  months  of  Government  op- 
eration, when  the  chief  objective  was  winning  the  war,  left  the 

*Ibid.,  p.  9. 

^"Thompson,  op.  cit.,  1923,  p.  91,  and  1924,  p.  94. 

"Charles  H.  Markham,  The  Shortage  of  Transportation,  122,  p.  3. 


64 


THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY 


[292 


/ 

\ 

\ 

\ 

1 

■g 

5 

0 

i 

s 

\ 

c 

\ 

1 

293. 


LAND   TRANSPORTATION'    FACILITIES  65 


equipment  in  disrepair.  General  depression  of  business  and  con- 
sequent reduced  volume  of  freight  during  192 1,  together  with  the 
railroad's  need  for  economy,  made  it  seem  advisable  to  defer 
repair.  The  coal  strike  in  April,  1922,  bunched  a  relatively  large 
amount  of  the  year's  traffic  in  this  commodity  in  the  fall,  and  the 
shopmen's  strike  in  July  made  the  amount  of  repair  work  required 
difficult  of  accomplishment. 

However,  the  country  is  not  so  much  interested  in  the  expla- 
nation of  conditions  now  past,  as  in  the  question  as  to  whether  the 
railroads  will  be  able  to  give  adequate  service  in  the  future.  It  is 
clear  that  frequent  repetition  of  the  losses  incurred  by  shippers 
during  each  of  these  periods  can  not  be  tolerated.  Estimates  of 
losses  on  wheat  to  Kansas  farmers  during  the  "car  shortage"  of 
the  fall  of  1920  have  been  given  as  twenty-five  to  fifty  cents  per 
bushel,  or  even  more,  because  facilities  for  shipment  could  not  be 
obtained  before  a  great  decline  in  the  market  price  of  wheat  had 
taken  place. ^-  The  fluctuating  volume  of  traffic  (Table  I\  )  and 
the  alternating  surplus  and  shortage  of  cars  (Fig.  6)  also  raises 
the  question  as  to  whether  the  railroads  should  be  expected  to 
maintain  equipment  for  occasional  peak  periods.  In  the  one  case 
there  is  an  economic  loss  to  the  railroads  because  of  idle  equipment 
during  slack  periods,  in  the  other  the  loss  falls  upon  the  shipper 
who  is  unable  to  market  his  product  promptly.  If  the  railroads 
are  to  allow  the  experiences  of  the  last  few  years  to  be  indefinitely 
repeated,  it  seems  wise  to  investigate  other  means  of  transpor- 
tation, that  is,  the  waterways  and  the  highways,  with  the  view 
of  utilizing  most  efficiently  and  economically  all  the  means  of 
transportation  the  country  affords. 

The  railroads,  on  the  other  hand,  contend  that,  with  abnormal 
conditions  once  removed,  they  will  be  able  to  provide  satisfactory 
service. ^^  They  are  carrying  now  more  than  at  any  previous 
period  in  their  history.  Average  weekly  car  loadings  during  1923 
and  1924  were  greater  than  ever  before,  with  a  close  approach  to 
one  million,^*  and  over  one  million  in  1925.  Some  idea  of  the 
achievements  of  the  railroads  may  be  gained  by  the  following  fig- 
ures.    For  every  $100  invested  in  property  by  railroads  in  1890, 

"Samuel  0.  Dunn,  The  Partner  and  the  Railroad  Question,  Feb.,  1924,  p.  4.. 
""The  Present  Railroad  Situation,"  p.  2. 
"Coinmerce  Yearbook,  1924,  p.  400. 


66  THE  GEONOMIC   ASPECTS   OF   THE    ILLINOIS   WATERWAY         [294 

983  tons  of  freight  and  153  passengers  were  carried  one  mile;  for 
a  similar  investment  in  1920,  2,063  ^ons  of  freight  and  231  pas- 
sengers were  carried  one  mile.^°  The  average  haul  for  freight  has 
increased  from  238  miles  in  1900  to  326.2  in  1921,^'^  indicating 
greater  interchange  of  commodities  and  more  extensive  demands 
of  the  people  for  products  from  far  distant  points.  In  1923  the 
ton-mile  burden  of  the  railroads  exceeded  414  billions  (Table  IV), 
This  tremendous  piece  of  work  has  been  done  by  focusing 
attention  on  more  effective  operation  of  already  existing  lines.^*'* 
Though  total  miles  of  line  showed  a  slight  decrease  between  1913 
and  1923,  the  mileage  of  switching  and  terminal  roads  increased 
from  5,373  to  6,404.^^  These  facts  are  very  significant,  as  the  weak 
spot  in  the  railroad  transportation  system  is  at  the  terminals, ^^ 
and  "any  increase  in  mileage  of  yard  tracks  and  sidings  adds  more 
to  the  available  facilities  than  an  equivalent  mileage  of  main 
tracks."^°  According  to  the  National  Industrial  Conference  Board 
terminal  congestion  may  be  reduced  without  expense  by  using  the 
existing  terminal  facilities  more  intensively,  and  by  proper  co-or- 
dination of  railroads,  shippers,  and  teaming  and  trucking  inter- 
ests.'°  Methods  of  handling  freight  through  large  city  terminals 
calls  for  much  improvement.  The  above  being  true,  greater  use  of 
waterways  does  not  appear  to  be  the  most  effective  method  of 
relieving  the  situation.  Terminals  for  the  waterway  must  neces- 
sarily occupy  a  restricted  area  bordering  the  river  or  canal.  If 
conveniently  located  for  handling  local  traffic,  the  terminals  must 
be  centrally  placed  in  areas  where  the  streets  are  already  more 
or  less  congested.  Moreover,  barges  must  be  loaded  and  unloaded 
at  the  waterside,  while  railroad  cars  can  be  quickly  switched  to  less 
congested  points  for  the  transfer  of  freight.    Rather  than  more 

""Report  of  the  Joint  Commission  of  Agricultural  Inquir}',  Pt.  Ill,  Trans- 
portation," Report  408,  Pt.  J,  House  of  Representatives,  67  Cong.,  I  sess.,  226 
(1922). 

^'Ibid.,  p.  219. 

"^In  1923  the  railroads  invested  in  road  and  equipment  over  eight  hundred 
million  dollars  (Thompson,  op.  cit.,  1924,  p.  81)  and  put  in  service  134,636  new 
freight  cars  and  2,963  new  locomotives.  (C.  A.  Gray,  And  the  Cars  Came,  1923). 

"Thompson,  op.  cit.,  1924,  p.  32. 

""The  Present  Railroad  Situation,"  p.  9. 

""Report  of  the  Joint  Commission  of  Agricultural  Inquiry,"  p.  230. 

*""The  Present  Railroad  Situation,"  p.  9. 


295]  LAND  TRANSPORTATION  FACILITIES  67 

waterways,  the  situation  suggests  the  use  of  motor  trucks  at  both 
rail  and  water  terminals  as  being  the  best  solution  of  the  problem. 

Terminal  Congestion  and  the  Motor  Truck 

The  railway  terminal  problem  is  among  the  most  important 
problems  of  the  country.  As  in  the  case  of  waterways,  it  costs  as 
much  to  handle  the  traffic  to  and  from  the  railroads  as  to  haul  it 
between  stations,  though  half  of  the  railroad  investment  has  been 
used  in  providing  facilities  other  than  the  main  line,^^  In  Chicago, 
twenty-five  to  thirty  per  cent  of  the  land  in  the  business  district, 
which  is  worth,  from  ten  to  twenty-five  dollars  a  square  foot,  is 
occupied  by  railroads  for  tracks,  road  and  station  purposes."-  Upon 
this  there  is  no  return  while  cars  stand  awaiting  receipt  or  dis- 
charge of  freight.  The  time  spent  by  cars  at  terminals  has  been 
given  by  Mr.  John  F.  Wallace,  then  Chairman  of  the  Chicago 
Railway  Terminal  Commission,  as  twelve  times  that  spent  on  the 
road.'^  Mr.  Grosvenor  M.  Jones,  of  the  Bureau  of  Foreign  and 
Domestic  Commerce,  has  estimated  the  cost  of  hauling  a  ton  of 
freight  240  miles  in  the  United  States  as  seventy-four  cents,  on 
the  average,  while  handling  the  same  ton  at  the  terminals  costs 
seventy-five  cents.-*  Terminal  costs,  together  with  overhead  ex- 
penses for  less  than  carload  freight,  have  been  calculated  by  the 
Interstate  Commerce  Commission  to  be  thirty  cents  per  one  hun- 
dred pounds.-^  Railroads  have  built  extensive  yards  and  systems 
of  side-tracks  for  switching,  making  up  trains,  etc.,  team  tracks 
for  the  receiving  and  delivering  of  carload  freight,  interchange 
tracks  and  belt  lines  for  transfer  of  cars,  freight  houses  for  caring 
for  less  than  carload  freight,  and  a  variety  of  special  facilities  for 
the  handling  of  particular  commodities.  Nevertheless,  it  is  still 
very  generally  agreed  that  the  capacity  of  the  railroad  as  a  trans- 
portation agent  is  virtually  limited  by  delays  at  terminals.  It  was 
in  order  to  clear  its  tracks  and  sidings  that  the  great  Pennsylvania 
System  refused  all  freight  for  seventy-two  hours  during  the  traffic 


^^J.   R.  Bibblns,  'The  Co-ordination  of  all  Transportation,"  Railway  Age, 
LXXIV  (1923),  801. 

''^George  R.  Chatburn,  Highways  and  Highway  Transportation,  1923,  p.  177. 
°^F.  Van  Z.  Lane,  Motor  Truck  Transportation,  192 1,  p.  7. 
''Ibid.,  p.  6. 
''Ibid.,  p.  S3. 


68  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS   OF   THE   ILLINOIS   WATERWAY         [296 

crisis  of  1906.-"  It  is  the  opinion  of  the  United  States  Chamber 
of  Commerce  that,  with  few,  if  any,  exceptions,  the  main  tracks 
of  our  railroads  have  adequate  capacity  for  carrying  more  freight 
than  is  to  be  offered  to  them.'^  It  is  clear,  therefore,  that  the  essen- 
tial requirement  of  transportation  today  is  the  most  expeditious 
handling  of  freight  at  terminals.  This,  of  course,  applies  to  water, 
as  well  as  to  rail  lines. 

To  accomplish  the  desired  result  one  of  two  things  must  be 
done;  either  the  present  facilities  must  be  extended,  or  some  way 
must  be  found  to  hasten  the  movement  of  freight  through  the 
existing  terminals.  Throughout  the  country  as  a  whole,  there  will 
be  no  serious  difficulty,  except  that  of  cost.  In  the  providing  of 
additional  facilities  for  handling  freight.  It  is  in  the  large  cities, 
where  the  need  of  relief  is  greatest,  that  the  greatest  obstacles  are 
found  to  this  method  of  solution.  The  prohibitive  cost  of  addi- 
tional terminals,  the  objection  of  municipalities  to  further  en- 
croachments by  transportation  agencies  in  congested  districts,  and 
the  fact  that  an  already  difficult  situation  would  be  emphasized  by 
still  greater  centralization  of  cartage  operations,  make  such  a  plan 
next  to  Impossible. 

In  this  extremity  railroads  have  turned  to  the  motor  truck. 
"Store-door  delivery  by  motor  truck,  which  would  relieve  conges- 
tion in  these  terminal  areas  and  greatly  increase  the  capacity  of 
the  freight  stations,  is  the  greatest  contribution  which  can  be  made 
to  the  solution  of  the  terminal  problem, "^^  By  the  substitution  of 
motor  trucks  in  the  trap  car  service,  for  switching  between  local 
stations,  and  for  short  haul  shipments  within  the  terminal  area, 
yard  congestion  can  be  reduced  and  many  cars  released  for  the 
more  profitable  line  haul.  More  rapid  movement  and  less  storage 
is  money  saved.  An  example  is  found  in  the  use  of  motor  trucks 
by  the  New  York  Central  Railroad  in  handling  less  than  carload 
freight,  thus  freeing  for  line  work  in  this  way  twenty-nine  cars  a 
day  in  New  York  alone.-°    In  Cincinnati,  also,  the  substitution  of 

^*'Trogram  of  Railroad  Legislation,"  op.  cit.,  p.  122. 

^'"Relation  of  Highways  and  Motor  Transport  to  Other  Transportation 
Agencies,"  Report  of  Special  Committee  IF,  Apptd.  by  the  President  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  of  the  United  States,  1923,  p.  9. 

""Ibid.,  p.  5- 

''G.  C.  WoodrufT,  "New  York  Central's  Use  of  Trucks  and  Unit  Contain- 
ers," Address  before  National  Dry  Goods  Association,  1925,  p.  10. 


297]  LAND  TRANSPORTATION   FACILITIES  69 

motor  truck  service  for  horse  drawn  vehicles  has  been  instituted, 
resulting  in  decrease  in  cost  of  handling  and  in  damage  to  goods, 
reduction  of  needed  platform  space,  more  rapid  movement  of 
freight,  lessened  street  congestion,  and  release  for  other  service  of 
switch  engines  and  cars.  The  importance  of  this  change  in  the 
transfer  of  package  freight  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that,  though 
such  freight  forms  only  four  to  five  per  cent  of  the  country's  ton- 
nage, twenty-five  to  thirty  per  cent  of  the  railroad  car  equipment 
is  required  to  handle  it.^° 

Motor  Trucks  and  the  Short  Haul 

Another  service  that  the  motor  truck  may  render  to  the  rail- 
road is  to  relieve  the  latter  of  unprofitable  short  haul  traffic.  The 
distance  in  which  it  is  economically  beneficial  for  motor  truck 
service  to  supplant  that  of  the  railroad  is  influenced  by  several 
factors,  among  the  most  important  being  the  condition  of  the 
roads,  the  character  of  the  traffic,  and  railroad  terminal  costs.  The 
limit  is  set  by  the  relative  cost  of  the  two  types  of  service.  R.  C. 
Wright,  general  traffic  manager  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  is 
reported  as  saying  that  there  was  no  profit  for  a  railroad  in  haul- 
ing freight  for  less  than  40  miles. ^^  For  a  shorter  distance  the 
high  proportion  of  terminal  expense  with  less  than  carload  freight 
may  even  mean  a  serious  loss,  especially  if  there  is  congestion  at 
terminals.  The  expense  of  the  short  haul  has  been  used  by  the 
railroads  repeatedly  in  arguments  for  increased  rates. ^-  If  this  can 
be  eliminated  from  the  railroad  tariff  by  use  of  the  motor  truck, 
railroad  rates  may  be  safely  reduced  to  a  point  otherwise  impos- 
sible. Judging  from  the  results  of  present  operations,  the  distance 
over  which  motor  truck  haulage  is  profitable  ranges  from  50  to 
100  miles,  that  is,  a  distance  capable  of  being  covered  in  one  day 
(or  night),  or  within  which  the  round  trip  is  possible  in  the  same 
length  of  time.  Motor  trucks  make  the  ninety  mile  trip  between 
New  York  and  Philadelphia  overnight,  carrying  less  than  carload 


'"Bibbins,  op.  cit.,  p.  801. 

Tercival  White,   Motor    Transportation    of  Merchandise   and   Passengers, 
1923,  p.  81. 

''Ibid.,  p.  85. 


70  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [298 

freight  at  a  cost  of  time  and  money  below  that  required  by  ex- 
press.^^ 

On  some  kinds  of  freight  the  motor  truck  has  the  advantage 
over  other  means  of  transportation  in  that  it  involves  less  handling. 
This  is  especially  true  of  freight  that  must  be  carefully  packed  to 
ship  by  rail.  Prompt  delivery  also  secures  for  it  perishable  freight. 
In  the  carriage  of  farm  products  it  has  assumed  a  permanent  and 
important  place,  especially  in  the  transportation  of  livestock  and 
grain. 

As  an  agency  of  transportation,  In  general,  the  motor  truck 
can  not  be  considered  a  serious  competitor  with  the  railroad  or 
waterway.  From  long  distance  haulage  it  will  forever  be  barred 
by  labor  requirements.  It  is  only  the  short  line  railroads  that 
have  reason  to  be  concerned,  the  situation  being  particularly  acute 
in  New  England.  For  example,  the  Boston  and  Maine  Railroad 
between  Boston  and  towns  within  a  radius  of  fifty  miles  has  re- 
duced its  express  rates  in  order  to  win  back  the  traffic  lost  to  the 
motor  trucks.^*  If  this  type  of  service  is  the  most  economical, 
however,  it  may  be  advisable  for  railroads  to  abandon  short  un- 
profitable branch  lines  and  give  over  the  traffic  to  the  more  effi- 
cient agent. ^■'^  It  is  not  as  a  competitor  of  existing  transportation 
agencies  that  the  motor  truck  will  find  its  greatest  usefulness, 
though  there  is  a  belief  that  such  competition,  actual  or  potential, 
will  act  as  an  incentive  to  both  rail  and  water  operating  companies 
to  make  their  transportation  systems  efi'ective.^^  It  is  as  a  co-op- 
erating unit  of  the  whole  system  of  land  and  water  transportation 
that  the  motor  truck  can  render  the  highest  service.  The  move- 
ment has  begun  in  New  England,  and  it  can  be  carried  out  under 
similar  conditions  elsewhere.  In  this  region  the  development  of 
combined  truck  and  water  transportation  is  favored  by  the  loca- 
tion of  the  majority  of  the  industrial  cities  within  a  maximum 


''Lane,  op.  cit.,  p.  7. 

"Chatburn,  op.  cit.,  p.  175. 

'** According  to  the  United  States  Daily,  March  29,  1926,  eight  western  rail- 
roads have  petitioned  the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission  for  permission  to 
operate  auto  bus  and  motor  truck  service  as  substitutes  for  some  of  their  branch 
line  trains. 

'^J.  Gordon  McKay,  "Connecticut  Highway  Transportation  Survey,"  Public 
Roads,  V  (1924),  21. 


299]  LAND  TRANSPORTATION   FACILITIES  fl 

distance  of  forty  miles  from  available  water  shipping  points,  and 
by  the  distance  to  New  York  City,  which  permits  overnight  move- 
ment of  freight.^® 

A  similar  correlation  between  the  motor  truck  and  rail  service 
is  developing  at  other  points  in  New  England,  and  in  the  region 
of  Philadelphia,  Baltimore,  Washington,  and  elsewhere  in  the 
East.^''  It  is  to  be  noted,  however,  that  these  regions  in  which 
service  of  this  character  has  resulted  in  success  are  densely  popu- 
lated, with  numerous  industrial  cities  of  considerable  size  lying  at 
a  distance  within  a  one-day  round  trip.  That  such  transportation 
methods  can  be  applied  with  equal  success  in  regions  with  entirely 
different  characteristics  is  not  to  be  expected.  Illinois,  for  instance, 
does  not  lend  itself  to  a  wide  use  of  this  plan.  Nevertheless,  this 
new  feature  in  the  development  of  transportation  is  of  special 
significance,  as  it  Is  Indicative  of  the  passing  of  wasteful  competi- 
tion, and  the  inauguration  of  sane  and  intelligent  co-operation.  It 
points  the  way  to  the  much-to-be-deslred  day,  when  each  agency 
of  transportation  will  be  performing  that  particular  function  for 
which  it  is  peculiarly  well  fitted. 

Illinois  Traffic 

By  its  geographic  position  Illinois  Is  destined  to  be  a  State 
of  heavy  traffic.  It  lies  between  the  industrialized  consuming  East 
and  the  agricultural  producing  plains  on  the  west.  The  dairying, 
mining,  and  wheat  growing  section  to  the  north  and  northwest 
presents  a  striking  contrast  from  the  southern  Mississippi  V'alley 
and  coastal  plain  with  Its  cotton,  rice,  and  sugar,  and  forests  of 
yellow  pine  and  cypress.  Much  of  the  interchange  between  these 
diverse  regions  Is  across  the  territory  of  Illinois.  The  importance 
of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  in  concentrating  transit  trade 
between  the  Mississippi  and  Lake  Michigan  has  been  noted  (page 
18).  In  those  days  the  movement  of  grain  eastward  and  of  lumber 
from  the  forests  of  the  Lake  States  southward  made  up  the  bulk  of 
the  traffic.  The  same  commodities  are  carried  today,  but  now  by 
the  railroads,  and  the  lumber  comes  largely  from  the  Gulf  States. 

'''Ibid. 
''Ibid.,  p.  18. 


72  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY        [3OO 

The  southward  projection  of  Lake  Michigan  into  the  lake 
and  prairie  plains  has  focused  the  east-west  railroads  at  its  head 
and  given  to  the  State  the  greatest  railroad  center  in  the  world. 
No  trains  pass  directly  through  Chicago.^®  All  trains  entering  this 
district  are  remade  within  the  Chicago  Switching  District.^®*  (Fig. 
5).  To  its  elevators  are  brought  grain  for  local  consumption  or 
manufacture,  to  pass  on  to  eastern  consuming  centers,  or  for  ex- 
port, giving  Chicago  first  rank  as  a  grain  market.  Livestock  are 
brought  for  slaughter  from  surrounding  states  to  this  premier 
slaughtering  and  meat-packing  center.  Here  are  made  more  agri- 
cultural implements,  both  for  local  distribution  and  for  export, 
than  at  any  other  city  in  the  world.  This  list  of  achievements 
might  be  greatly  extended,  but  it  is  sufficient  to  account  for  an 
enormous  amount  of  traffic  across  the  State. 

Intrastate  traffic  is  greatly  influenced  by  the  unequal  distri- 
bution of  resources  and  population  within  the  State.  According 
to  the  Fourteenth  Census  Cook  County  then  contained  more  than 
forty-seven  per  cent  of  the  State's  population,  and  the  concentra- 
tion is  on  the  increase.  It  has  reached  its  present  proportions 
from  thirty-eight  per  cent  in  1900,  and  42.6  per  cent  in  1910. 
There  is  also  a  great  concentration  of  Industry  in  this  section, 
there  being  more  than  4,000  industries  located  within  the  metro- 
politan^®" area  of  Chicago.^"  Cook  County  alone  had  three-fifths 
of  the  total  number  of  manufacturing  establishments  of  the  State 
in  1919,  and  accounted  for  $3,908,350,000,  or  seventy-two  per  cent 
of  the  State's  total  in  value  of  manufactures..  These  industrial 
plants  call  for  an  enormous  quantity  of  coal,  and  help  to  make  of 
Chicago  the  greatest  coal  market  of  the  world.  More  coal  is  con- 
sumed annually  within  the  Chicago  Switching  District  than  in  all 
New  England,  or  in  the  State  of  New  York,  Including  Greater  New 
York.*°  The  greatest  coal  producing  counties,  however,  are  in  the 


'^E.  H.  Lee,  "Railway-Borne  Commerce  in  the  Chicago  Region  and  its  Re- 
quirements," Jour.  W.  Soc.  Eng.,  XXX  (1925),  204. 

'''"The  area  on  the  map  enclosed  by  the  dotted  line. 

'*\\'Ietropolitan  area  is  that  enclosed  by  the  Elgin,  Joliet,  and  Eastern  Rail- 
road, Fig.  5. 

^•Lee,  op.  cit.,  p.  205. 

**F.  C.  Honnold,  "Chicago  is  the  World's  Greatest  Coal  Market,"  Coal  Age, 
XXI  (1922),  18. 


301  ]  LAND  TRANSPORTATION   FACILITIES  73 

extreme  southern  part  of  the  State.  A  large  amount,  also,  is 
brought  in  from  Indiana,  Pennsylvania,  and  other  neighboring 
states.  This  concentration  of  population  and  industry  of  various 
sorts  creates  an  unusual  amount  of  package  freight  within  the 
business  district  of  Chicago.  It  is  said  that  15,000  tons  of  less 
than  carload  freight  are  shipped,  and  9,000  tons  received,  daily, 
at  Chicago.  In  the  same  time  2,500  through  package  cars  leave 
for  as  many  as  1,800  shipping  points  scattered  over  every  state 
in  the  Union,*^  in  addition  to  the  great  amount  of  localized  trade. 

Facilities  for  Transportation  in  Illinois 

To  carry  the  enormous  quantity  of  the  State's  freight  are 
required  many  miles  of  railroad,  which  cross  the  State  in  all  direc- 
tions and  converge  at  Chicago.  Topographic  advantages  enabled 
Illinois  to  attain  a  high  rank  in  railroad  building  at  a  relatively 
early  date.  In  the  decade  between  1850  and  i860  it  built  more 
miles  of  railroad  than  any  other  state,  and,  at  the  end  of  the  period, 
was  outranked  in  mileage  constructed  only  by  Ohio.*-  Ten  years 
later  it  occupied  first  place,  which  it  held  for  nearly  forty  years, 
until  surpassed  by  Texas  in  1906.  So  rapidly  did  the  work  progress 
that  by  1897  approximately  89  per  cent  of  all  the  land  of  Illinois 
lay  within  five  miles  of  an  operating  railroad.*^  In  1923  it  possessed 
12,035  niiles,  exclusive  of  switching  and  terminal  tracks,  equal  to 
more  than  4.8  of  the  country's  total  railroad  mileage  (Table  V). 

Illinois  has  had  exceptional  advantages  for  railroad  building. 
The  State  is,  for  the  most  part,  a  nearly  level,  or  gently  undulating 
plain  across  which  railroads  could  be  built  in  any  direction,  reach- 
ing the  objective  points  by  practically  straight  lines.  The  advan- 
tage of  such  a  layout  is  evident  when  distances  between  points  by 
river  and  rail  are  compared.  For  instance,  from  Chicago  to  Cairo 
by  the  Illinois  Central  is  364.72  miles."    By  the  waterway  Cairo 

*^'"Chicago  Facts,"  Report  of  Chicago  Association  of  Commerce,  1921,  p. 
9.     (Pamphlet). 

*'^Statistical  Abstract  of  the  United  States,  1924,  p.  358  and  Preliminary  Re- 
port of  the  Eighth  Census,  p.  235. 

"Dwight  C.  Morgan,  "The  Railways  of  Illinois,"  Year  Book  of  Railway 
Literature,  (Chicago,  1897),  p.  201. 

**Poor's  Manual  of  Railroads,  1924,  p.  1197. 


74  THE   GEONOMIC   ASPECTS   OF   THE   ILLINOIS   WATERWAY         [3O2 

TABLE  v.— RAILWAY  MILEAGE  OF  ILLINOIS 

1850 110.50  1859 2,781.20   1916 12,210 

1851 271.39  i860 2,867.90   1917 13,269 

1852 412-19  187c 4,823     1918 13,328 

1853 759-62  1880 7,851      1919 13,267 

1854 788.40  189c 10,214      1920 13,189 

1855 886.79  190C 11,003      1921 13,187 

1856 2,135.33  1905 11,959      1922 12,840 

1857 2,501.65  1910 12,751      1923 12,035 

1858 2,733.92  191 5 13,256 

Figures  for  years  1850-1860  from  Preliminary  Report,  Eighth  Census  of 
the  United  States,  1862;  for  1 870-1900  from  Statistical  Abstract;  and  for 
1905-1923  from  Bureau  of  Railway  News  and  Statistics,  by  Slason  Thompson. 

will  be  553  miles  from  Lake  Michigan.^^  The  direct  line  of  the 
original  Illinois  Central  road  north  from  Cairo  to  La  Salle,  of  the 
Chicago  and  Alton  between  Chicago  and  Alton,  and  of  the  Chi- 
cago, Burlington  and  Quincy  from  Chicago  to  Galesburg  may  be 
noted  (Fig.  8).  These  roads  follow  the  upland  far  enough  away 
from  the  major  stream  valleys  to  avoid  crossing  any  but  the 
shallow  heads  of  valleys  tributary  to  them.  The  Rock  Island, 
one  of  the  earlier  roads  to  be  located,  appropriated  the  val- 
ley of  the  upper  Illinois  from  Joliet  to  the  "Great  Bend,"  in  order 
to  profit  from  the  easy  grade  it  offers  as  well  as  to  share  in  the 
trade  of  the  towns  and  cities  already  scattered  along  the  river  and 
the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal.  It  was  to  this  railroad  more 
than  to  any  other  that  the  Canal  lost  its  traffic.  It  is  with  this 
railroad,  also,  that  the  Illinois  and  Mississippi  Canal  competes 
most  directly,  as  the  two  occupy  the  same  valleys  and  approxi- 
mately parallel  each  other  for  most  of  the  length  of  the  latter. 

The  distribution  of  the  railroads  is  not  uniform.  As  might 
be  expected  the  net  is  thickest  in  the  vicinity  of  the  great  cities, 
Chicago  and  St.  Louis,  while  the  rougher  and  more  sparsely  pop- 
ulated parts  of  the  State  are  less  well  supplied.  Calhoun  County, 
lying  between  the  Illinois  and  IVIississippi  Rivers,  has  no  railroad, 
and  Hardin  and  Pope  Counties,  bordering  on  the  Ohio  River,  have 
only  a  short  branch  line  (Fig.  9).  There  is  quite  as  much  differ- 
ence along  the  various  parts  of  the  waterway,  also,  as  in  the  State 
as  a  whole.  From  Pekin  to  Chicago  the  line  of  the  waterway  is  par- 

^'L.  E.  Cooley,  '"The  Lakes  and  Gulf  Waterway,"  Deep  Water  Way  De- 
hate}  before  the  46th  General  Assembly,  Springfield,  Illinois,  1909,  p.  338. 


303] 


LAND   TRANSPORTATION   FACILITIES 


75 


Fig.  8.    Illinois  Railroads 
(Includes  all  railroads  serving  or  competing  with  the  Illinois  Waterway) 


"J^  THE   GEONOMIC   ASPECTS   OF   THE    ILLINOIS   WATERWAY         [3O4 

alleled  by  one  or  more  railroad  lines.  Several  branch  roads  cross  it 
above  the  "Great  Bend,"  selecting  the  easier  grades  offered  by  trib- 
utaries from  the  upland  to  the  valley  bottom.  Below  Pekin  the 
greater  obstruction  to  railroad  building  presented  by  the  widening 
alluvial  valley  of  the  Illinois  is  reflected  in  the  absence  of  a  parallel 
railroad  and  in  relatively  few  railroads  crossing  the  river  in  this  sec- 
tion. For  instance,  in  the  river  stretches  of  33  miles  between 
Pekin  and  Havana,  and  of  31.4  miles  from  Havana  to  Beardstown, 
no  railroad  reaches  the  river.  Of  the  fifty  landings  from  Pekin  to 
Grafton,  a  distance  of  153  miles,  only  six  or  seven  have  direct  rail- 
road connection  (Figs,  i  and  8).*^^ 

In  contrast  to  this  arrangement  is  the  convergence  of  railroad 
lines  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  State,  where  Chicago,  by  its 
superior  advantages  of  position,  draws  to  it  all  rail  lines  within 
the  territory.  So  well  recognized  are  these  advantages,  that,  un- 
like other  large  cities  such  as  Cincinnati,  Cleveland,  and  Buffalo, 
Chicago  has  never,  as  a  municipal  corporation,  invested  money  or 
loaned  credit  in  the  aid  of  railroads,  though  benefiting  richly  by 
them.**'  Twenty-six  railroads,  representing  forty  per  cent  of  the 
railway  mileage  of  the  United  States,  terminate  in  Chicago.*^  As 
there  are  no  natural  barriers,  except  the  shores  of  Lake  Michigan 
and  the  Chicago  River  (Frontispiece),  the  railroads  were  free  to 
enter  the  city  along  any  line  they  chose,  sometimes  seeking  directly 
a  share  of  the  trade  already  cared  for  by  a  competing  line.  This 
circumstance  gave  competition,  rather  than  co-operation  between 
the  various  lines.  The  railroads  established  themselves  near  the 
center  of  the  city,  then  close  to  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  River. 
At  first  their  yards  were  located  outside  the  city  limits,  where  land 
was  cheap,  but,  as  the  city  grew,  they  were  repeatedly  moved  be- 
yond this  line.  Lack  of  a  systematic  plan  in  the  beginning,  and 
subsequent  active  competition  between  the  railroads  has  given  a 
multiplicity    of   tracks,   but   faulty    co-ordination    betv.-een    lines. 

""The  map  shows  the  railroads  of  lUinois  between  the  track  of  the  Chicago, 
Burhngton,  and  Quincy  from  Chicago  to  Savanna  and  the  Illinois  Central  from 
Chicago  to  Cairo,  an  area  which  includes  all  the  roads  that  will  serve  or  compete 
with  the  waterway. 

^'William  K.  Ackerman,  "Early  Illinois  Railroads,"  Fergus  History  Series, 
No.  23,  1884,  p.  54. 

""Chicago  Facts,"  p.  8. 


305] 


LAND  TRANSPORTATION   FACILITIES 


n 


Fig.  9.     Identification   Map   of  Illinois  Couni 


78  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [306 

Within  the  Chicago  terminal  district,  which  includes  an  area  some- 
what greater  than  that  of  the  city,  are  over  4,400  miles  of  railroad 
track  and  177  individual  railroad  freight  yards.*^  For  interchange 
of  freight  between  roads  there  are  sixteen  independent  belt  or  in- 
dustrial lines  within  the  city  limits,  having  together  eighty  or  more 
points  of  transfer.*^  Encircling  Chicago  are  belt  lines,  totaling 
1,400  miles,  a  length  equal  to  one  third  the  belt  line  mileage  in  the 
United  States.'^"  The  Inner  Belt,  known  as  the  Belt  Railway  of 
Chicago,  extends  from  South  Chicago  to  Cragin;  the  Middle  Belt, 
or  Indiana  Harbor  Belt  Railroad,  from  Indiana  Harbor  to  May- 
^gy.5oa  gj^^j  ^.}^g  Outer  Belt,  or  Elgin,  Joliet  and  Eastern  Railroad, 
from  Gary  to  Elgin  and  Waukegan^^  (Fig.  5).  A  partial  belt  line, 
well  toward  the  center  of  the  city,  is  furnished  by  the  Chicago 
Junction  Railroad,  which  is  engaged  in  handling  traffic  to  and 
from  the  stock  yards  and  the  manufacturing  district.®^  During 
the  last  few  years  interchange  of  both  through  and  local  freight 
between  railroad  lines  has  been  much  simplified  by  the  operation 
by  the  Belt  Railway  of  Chicago  of  one  of  the  largest  freight  yards 
in  the  country.  This  clearing  yard  lies  just  outside  the  city  Hmits 
near  Argo,  and  is  reached  by  both  the  Indiana  Harbor  Belt  Rail- 
road and  the  Western  Indiana  Railroad.  By  means  of  either  of 
these  it  is  possible  to  reach  all  of  the  railroads  entering  the  ter- 
minal area.^^ 

Beside  the  intricate  and  extensive  system  of  steam  railroads, 
Illinois  has  a  ramification  of  electric  lines  which  crosses  the  central 
part  of  the  State  in  various  directions.  In  1922  there  were  3,416.13 
miles  of  electric  railway  in  Illinois,  which  ranked  third  in  the 
United  States  in  this  respect.^*  Freight  and  express  traffic  is  car- 
ried by  these  lines  in  Illinois  to  a  much  greater  extent  than  in 
other  parts  of  the  country,  except  in  Iowa  and  California,   These 


*'E.  J.  Noonan,  "Chicago  Terminal  Situation,"  Jour.  W.  Soc.  Eng.,  XXIV 
(1919),  286. 

*^Sixth  Annual  Report  of  Illinois  Division  of  Waterways,  1923,  p.  34. 

'""Chicago  Facts,"  p.  9. 

'"■^Given  as  Mayfair  on  the  Standing  Switching  Committee  map. 

"Bion  J.  Arnold,  Report  on  the  Rearrangement  and  Development  of  the 
Steam  Railroad  Terminals  of  the  City  of  Chicago,  1913,  p.  91. 

"Noonan,  op.  cit.,  p.  288. 

''Ibid. 

'^Illinois  Blue  Book,  1923-1924,  p.  5, 


307]  LAND  TRANSPORTATION   FACILITIES  79 

three  states  reported  6,273  freight,  baggage,  and  mail  cars,  or  55 
per  cent  of  the  total  of  such  cars  in  the  United  States.^^  The  Illi- 
nois Traction  System  of  Illinois  carried  720,234  tons  of  coal  alone 
in  1925,^^  but  agricultural  products,  manufactures,  and  general 
merchandise  are  also  carried  by  them.  Figures  indicate,  however, 
that  these  roads  have  felt  the  competition  of  motor  transportation 
on  improved  highways  in  recent  years.  Loss  of  passenger  traffic, 
especially,  has  been  marked  in  certain  sections,  and  portions  of 
electric  lines  have  been  abandoned.  In  1912  there  were  3,185.73 
miles  of  track  in  Illinois;  in  1917,  3.441.43  miles;  and  in  1922, 
3,416.13  miles.^'  One  of  these  lines  extends  from  Prince- 
ton to  Joliet,  practically  paralleling  the  Rock  Island  Railroad 
through  the  upper  Illinois  Valley.  From  Joliet  an  electric  line 
affords  half  hour  service  to  Chicago,  also  following  the  route  of 
the  waterway. 

Illinois  has  also  undertaken  an  extensive  road  building  pro- 
gram, calculated  to  furnish  a  system  of  hard  roads  passing  through 
every  county  and  touching  every  important  city  in  the  State.^* 
Sums  from  State  bond  issues.  Federal  funds,  and  automobile 
license  fees  are  to  be  used  in  its  construction.  When  the  new 
system  planned  by  Illinois  is  completed  there  will  be  in  the  State 
about  9,900  miles  of  paved  State  road.^^ 

Service  of  the  Railro.ads 

Though  electric  lines  and  improved  roads  will  be  able  to 
care  for  an  increasing  amount  of  traffic,  it  is  still  clear  that 
the  main  dependence  of  the  State  for  transportation  must  be 
the  railroads.  ''Are  they  equal  to  the  task?"  is  the  question. 
An  indication  of  the  freight  carrying  capacity  of  the  railroads 
is  furnished  by  a  description  of  the  facilities  provided  by 
them,  such  as  has  been  given  on  the  preceding  pages.  However, 
a  better  idea  of  the  actual  service  rendered  is  gained  from  an  ac- 
count of  their  achievements  in  terms  of  tonnage  carried  and  the 

""Electric  Railways,"  Bureau  of  the  Census,  1922.  p.  18. 
"■■"Annual  Coal  Report,"  Department  of  Mines  and  Minerals,  Illinois,  1925, 
p.  67. 

"'■"Electric  Railways,"  p.  21. 
^Illinois  Blue  Book,  1923-1924,  p.  5. 
^Ibid.,  p.  255. 


80  THE  GEONOMIC   ASPECTS   OF   THE    ILLINOIS   WATERWAY         [308 

efficiency  displayed  in  operation.  The  fact  that  there  is  a  large 
amount  of  freight  to  be  carried  in  Illinois  has  been  noted  (page  71) 
and  this  amount  is  steadily  increasing.  In  the  fiscal  year  1915 
the  revenue  freight  carried  by  the  railroad  lines  in  Illinois  totaled 
more  than  207,000,000  tons  including  that  originating  on  the 
lines  together  with  that  received  from  connecting  lines.**"  Of  this 
the  Illinois  Central  carried  more  than  22,000,000  tons,  or  nearly 
eleven  per  cent  of  the  total.''^  In  1924  this  railroad  carried 
35,600,000  tons,*^-  of  which  more  than  42  per  cent  originated  in 
Illinois."^  The  amount  of  freight  handled  annually  at  Chicago 
alone  was  estimated  in  1924  to  be  from  175  to  225  million  tons.*** 
Within  the  area  enclosed  by  the  Elgin,  Joliet,  and  Eastern  Rail- 
road, and  known  as  Metropolitan  Chicago  (Fig.  5),  it  is  said, 
more  than  ten  per  cent  of  the  freight  cars  loaded  in  the  whole 
United  States  are  either  loaded  or  unloaded. ^^  The  package  freight 
to  which  the  Chicago  district  gives  rise  measures  9,000  tons  re- 
ceived and  15,000  tons  dispatched  daily. "^  Of  this  class  of  freight 
only  about  five  per  cent  of  the  daily  tonnage  was  through  business 
in  1913.^^  Eighty-four  per  cent  of  it  in  1915  was  handled  through 
the  fifty-seven  freight  houses  located  in  the  central  railroad  ter- 
minal district,  an  area  less  than  four  miles  square.*^^  When  to  the 
above  figures  are  added  1,300  passenger  trains  and  250,000  pas- 
sengers moving  to  and  from  Chicago  railway  stations  during  each 
twenty-four  hour  period,**^  some  idea  of  the  burden  of  the  railroads 
may  be  obtained.  It  is  also  clear  that  transportation  difficulties 
are  not  equally  distributed  over  the  State,  but  are  concentrated 


'""Statistical  Report,"  Illinois  State  Public  Utilities  Commission,  1915,  p.  7. 

''Ibid.,  p.  165. 

"'L.  E.  Wettling's  Exhibit  50  in  the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission 
Docket  17,000  and  Interstate  Commerce  Commission  ex  parte  87. 

"^Figures  from  a  letter  from  C.  H.  Markham,  President,  Illinois  Central 
Railroad. 

""Rufus  W.  Putnam,  "Modern  Rail  and  Water  Terminals,"  Trans.  Amer. 
Soc.  C.  Eng.,  LXXXVII  (1924),  844. 

"Lee,  op.  cit.,  p.  204. 

""■'Chicago  Facts,"  p.  9. 

•"Arnold,  op.  cit.,  p.   103. 

"^Preliminary  Report  of  Chicago  Railway  Terminal  Commission,  submitted 
to  City  Council  Committee  on  Railway  Terminals,  191S,  p.  25. 

"""Chicago  Facts,"  p.  9. 


309]  LAND  TRANSPORTATION   FACILITIES  81 

to  a  remarkable  degree  in  one  small  area  in  the  northeastern  por- 
tion. 

To  care  for  this  enormous  traffic  is  a  stupendous  task,  for 
which  the  railroads  should  be  given  due  credit.  In  spite  of  such 
a  record,  however,  complaints  have  been  voiced  repeatedly  over 
the  delays  at  Chicago  that  seasons  of  unusually  heavy  traffic  oc- 
casion (page  55).  Each  period  of  congestion  raises  the  question  as 
to  whether  the  railroads  will  be  able  to  eliminate  delays  and  to 
handle  expeditiously  the  ever  increasing  volume  of  traffic  in  this 
most  important  commercial  district.  If  not,  will  the  development 
of  the  waterway  as  projected  be  an  adequate  and  satisfactory 
remedy  for  the  situation? 

The  first  question  has  been  discussed  on  pages  65  and  66, 
and  the  answer  seems  to  be  that  the  solution  for  terminal  conges- 
tion and  traffic  delays  in  large  cities  is  not  by  providing  more 
routes  on  which  to  carry  goods  to  and  from  those  areas,  which 
the  waterway  would  do.  Relief  for  the  railroad  must  come  through 
expediting  the  movement  of  freight  through  the  terminals.  This 
can  be  done  best  by  modern  and  adequately  equipped  terminals, 
use  of  trucks  with  demountable  bodies  for  transfer,  and,  in  some 
places,  in  additional  switching  and  side  tracks.  In  Chicago,  co- 
operation of  existing  transportation  lines  according  to  some  well- 
worked-out  plan  is  greatly  needed.  The  recommendation  that  all 
through  traffic  be  diverted  around  the  city  by  the  outer  belt  line,'° 
and  that  only  such  freight  terminals  and  service  facilities  remain 
within  the  city  as  are  required  for  the  business  of  Chicago  origin 
or  destination  appears  sound.  This,  however,  would  affect  a  rela- 
tively small  per  cent  of  the  total  trade  of  the  district,  as  through 
transfers  form  only  nineteen  per  cent  of  the  total  traffic  and  three- 
fourths  of  this  is  now  handled  promptly  and  economically  by  the 
existing  belt  lines. "^  It  is  believed  that  existing  facilities,  if  prop- 
erly co-ordinated  and  efficiently  used,  are  sufficient  to  care  for 
present  carload  freight  without  construction  of  additional  tracks. ''- 
According  to  E.  H.  Lee,  the  belt  lines  will  be  able  to  handle  the 
through  transfer  business  for  many  years,  as  it  is  no  longer  a  vital 

"'"Sixth  Annual  Report  of  Illinois  Division  of  Waterways,  1923,  p.  40. 
"E.  H.  Lee,  "Traffic  Growth  Imposes  Burden  on  the  Chicago  Terminals," 
Railway  Age,  LXXVIII  (1925),  562. 
"Noonan,  op.  cit.,  p.  288. 


82  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY        [3 10 

part  of  Chicago's  transportation  problem,  and  it  tends  to  become 
of  relatively  less  importance."^  Use  of  the  waterway  will  contrib- 
ute little  to  the  solution  of  the  traffic  problem  of  Chicago.  Through 
traffic  on  the  waterway  must  pass  through  the  heart  of  Chicago, 
unless  a  considerable  expense  is  incurred  in  the  widening  of  the 
Calumet  Sag  Channel  (page  29).  If  relieved  of  an  appreciable  part 
of  this  class  of  freight,  the  railroads  have  left  to  them  the  more 
critical  problem  of  local  freight.  If  carried  on  the  waterway, 
traffic  having  its  origin  or  destination  in  Chicago  must  utilize  ter- 
minals along  the  banks  in  a  region  already  more  or  less  congested, 
while  transfer  to  or  from  these  terminals  involves  the  same  diffi- 
culties and  requires  the  same  expeditious  handling  as  if  carried 
by  rail.  Ninety  per  cent  of  all  less-than-carload  freight  carried 
by  the  railroads  into  the  Chicago  terminal  district  is  handled 
within  an  area  of  approximately  two  square  miles  in  the  central 
business  district  of  the  city."*  Such  concentration  in  a  city  of  190 
square  miles  in  extent  reffects  the  necessity  of  reducing  street 
haulage  to  the  lowest  figure  possible,  a  situation  which  the  water- 
way, as  well  as  the  railway,  must  face. 

In  the  State  outside  of  Chicago  there  is  no  evident  need  of 
additional  lines  over  which  to  transport  freight.  In  fact,  figures 
for  railway  mileage  in  Illinois  indicate  that  the  point  of  economic 
saturation  in  line  trackage  has,  for  present  conditions,  been 
reached.  According  to  the  figures  of  the  Bureau  of  Railway 
Economics  more  miles  of  railway  have  been  abandoned  than  have 
been  constructed  in  Illinois  since  1918"^  (Table  V).  A  notable  ex- 
ample Is  that  of  the  Chicago,  Peoria,  and  St.  Louis  Railroad  to 
whom  permission  for  abandonment  of  234.3  miles  of  line  was  given 
by  the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission,  March  19,  1923.  This 
was  the  longest  section  of  railroad  granted  this  privilege  in  the 
United  States  during  the  five  year  period  since  the  Transportation 
Act  requiring  certificates  of  convenience  and  necessity  was  passed. 
It  is  interesting  to  note  that  it  was  located  in  one  of  the  richest 
agricultural  sections  of  Illinois  and  passed  through  thirty-five 
cities  and  villages,  twenty  of  which  were  reached  by  no  other  rail- 


"Lee,  ''Railway-Borne  Commerce  in  the  Chicago  Region,"  p.  206. 

"Noonan,  op.  cit.,  p.  288.  -^ 

'Thompson,  op.  cit.,  1918-1924.  \ 


3  I  I  ]  LAND  TRANSPORTATION   FACILITIES  83 

way."*'  The  main  line  extended  from  Pekin  to  Granite  City,  Illi- 
nois, via  Havana,  Springfield  and  Jerseyville.  Branch  lines  con- 
nected Pekin  with  Jacksonville  and  Lock  Haven  with  GraftonJ'' 
It  was  an  old  line  railroad,  part  of  which  was  built  before  the  Civil 
War.'^*  It  evidently  was  poorly  located,  for  it  passed  through  sev- 
eral receiverships  (one  as  early  as  1893),  was  re-organized  several 
times,^^  and  was  again  in  the  hands  of  receivers  when  petition 
was  made  for  abandonment.®"  It  is  significant  that  competition 
of  other  railroads  and  lack  of  sufficient  traffic  were  given  as  the 
explanation  of  failure  to  secure  freight.®"-  Good  roads  and  the 
motor  truck  are  believed  to  be  a  minor  factor.  The  proximity  of 
this  railroad  to  the  Illinois  River,  also,  has  a  bearing  on  the  prob- 
lem with  which  this  paper  is  concerned.  Though  this  part  of  the 
waterway  route  is  most  poorly  supplied  with  railroads,  it  is  not 
reasonable  to  contend,  under  the  circumstances,  that  this  section, 
at  least,  is  inadequately  served  by  railroads  and  in  need  of  water- 
way improvement.  Furthermore,  this  section  is  navigable  for  fair 
sized  boats,  yet  the  water-borne  commerce  cleared  at  Copperas 
Creek,  between  Pekin  and  Havana,  in  a  section  tributary  to  the 
above  named  line,  totaled  but  little  more  than  6,500  tons  during 
the  fiscal  year  1923.®^  It  emphasizes  the  fact  that  the  scattered 
population  of  a  strictly  agricultural  region  does  not  give  rise  to 
great  quantities  of  freight  to  be  transported  by  any  public  carrier. 
Again  it  is  apparent  that  traffic  congestion  problems  are  not  con- 
cerned with  line  haul,  but  rather  with  those  of  terminal  transfer 
in  centers  of  large  population. 

Above  Pekin  the  waterway  route  is  fairly  well  supplied  with 
railroads.  The  Rock  Island  follows  it  as  far  as  Joliet,  from  which 
point  it  is  paralleled  by  the  Santa  Fe  and  the  Chicago  and  Alton 
to  Chicago.  An  electric  line  parallels  it  above  the  Great  Bend, 
and  it  is  crossed  by  six  railroads  between  the  Bend  and  Joliet. 
Of  the  larger  population  centers  along  the  route,  only  Marseilles 

"Henr>-   R.   Trumbou-er,   '"Railroad   Abandonments   and  their   Relation   to 
Highway  Transportation,"  Public  Roads,  VI  (1925),  171. 
''^Poor's  Manual  of  Railroads,  1924,  p.  176. 
"Trumbower,  op.  cit.,  p.  171. 
''^Poor's  Manual  of  Railroads,  1924,  p.  176. 
*°Trumbower,  op.  cit.,  p.  171. 
''Ibid.,  p.  172. 
^Sixtk  Amiual  Report  of  Illinois  Division  of  Waterways,  1923,  p.  73. 


84  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [3 12 

and  Morris  must  depend  on  a  single  steam  railroad,  the  Rock 
Island.  It  is  reported  that  industrial  interests  at  Marseilles  are 
dissatisfied  with  the  service  rendered  by  the  railroad  and  are 
anxious  for  the  waterway.*^  The  writer,  however,  found  greater 
evidence  of  interest  at  this  place  in  the  power  to  be  derived,  than 
in  the  navigation  phase  of  the  project.  At  Ottawa  an  official  of 
the  industrial  concern  most  advantageously  placed  to  use  the 
waterway  showed  little  interest  in  water  transportation,  and  stated 
that  he  considered  the  service  rendered  by  the  two  railroads  there 
"efficient,  adequate,  and  satisfactory."  As  the  markets  for  the 
product  of  this  establishment  are  widely  scattered  over  the  coun- 
try in  regions  remote  from  the  waterway,  the  Illinois  project  will  be 
of  little  benefit  until  greater  markets  develop  along  the  water 
route.  A  similar  lack  of  enthusiasm  in  regard  to  the  waterway 
was  found  at  Joliet,  which,  through  its  Chamber  of  Commerce 
advertises  its  transportation  advantages.  Besides  the  service  of 
the  six  steam  railroads  operating  through  the  city,  it  has  switch- 
ing service  through  a  belt  line  extension  of  the  Chicago  Outer  Belt 
Line,  which  encircles  the  city  (Fig.  5).  La  Salle  is  similarly  sup- 
plied. It  has  four  lines  of  railway,  an  interurban,  and  a  belt  line 
giving  "fine  switching  service."  According  to  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  "railroad  facilities  are  ample. '"^^  A  similar  statement 
is  made  by  the  Pekin  Chamber  of  Commerce,  which  reports  that 
the  eight  railroads  "furnish  excellent  transportation  facilities  by 
land."®^  Peoria,  the  second  city  in  size  in  the  State,  is  a  railroad 
center  of  considerable  importance,  with  fifteen  steam  lines  and 
three  electric  interurban  lines.®*'  One  hundred  and  twenty-eight  pas- 
senger trains  and  one  hundred  and  seven  freight  trains  enter  and 
leave  the  city  daily.  Freight  tonnage  received  in  192 1  was 
7,857,847,  and  6,850,466  tons  were  forwarded.®^  There  was  also 
a  small  river  trade.  During  the  fiscal  year  192 1  about  12,000  tons 
of  freight  passed  through  the  locks  at  Copperas  Creek.®®  As  practi- 
cally all  freight  from  down-river  points  to  Peoria  by  water  is  in- 

^Verbal  statement  of  an  Inhabitant. 

""Illinois  Facts,"  Illinois  Chamber  of  Commerce,  p.  60. 

"'Ibid.,  p.  67. 

"Ibid.,  p.  69. 

"Ibid.,  p.  67. 

^Fourth  Annual  Report  of  Illinois  Division  of  Waterways,  1921,  p.  28. 


313]  LAND  TRANSPORTATION  FACILITIES  85 

eluded  in  this  figure,  it  is  apparent  what  a  minor  factor  the  river 
is  in  the  commercial  life  of  the  community.  Evidently  the  water- 
way is  not  essential  at  this  point  to  supplement  the  railroads  in 
the  carriage  of  freight. 

From  the  foregoing  it  is  apparent  that  there  is  no  recognizable 
need  of  additional  line  facilities  for  traffic  moving  in  the  direction 
taken  by  the  waterway.  In  fact,  the  existing  facilities  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  route  are  utilized  far  less  than  to  their  full 
capacity.  In  the  middle  and  upper  parts  of  the  Illinois  Valley 
present  railroad  facilities  are  admittedly  adequate  and  the  service 
satisfactory,  with  the  possible  exception  of  Marseilles.  Only  in 
the  Chicago  district  is  there  appreciable  inefficiency  and  inade- 
quacy displayed,  and  this  is  due  to  duplication  of  service  and  lack 
of  co-ordination  among  the  several  transportation  lines,  rather 
than  to  insufficient  main  line  of  track.  The  service  of  the  water- 
way will  be  that  of  another  main  line  for  through  transportation, 
a  service  for  which  there  is  no  present  need.  Through  traffic 
should  be  routed  around  the  business  district  of  Chicago,  instead 
of  being  allowed  to  pass  through  the  congested  center  of  the  city. 
This  the  waterway  will  be  able  to  do  satisfactorily  only  if  some 
nine  million  dollars  additional  are  expended  in  enlarging  the  Sag 
Channel  (page  29).  Through  traffic  along  the  Sanitary  Ship  Canal 
and  Chicago  River  must  be  transferred  to  railroad  or  boat  at  some 
terminal  in  the  Chicago  district.  This  will  in  no  way  relieve  the 
present  congestion  at  the  Chicago  terminals,  as  it  would  only  re- 
lieve congestion  at  one  place  to  increase  it  at  another.  Traffic 
originating  in  Chicago  or  destined  for  consumption  there  will  face 
the  same  problem  of  street  haulage,  whether  transported  by  rail 
or  water.  The  result  is  that  such  traffic  carried  by  water  will  seek 
centrally  located  freight  yards  just  as  traffic  for  rail  carriage  does. 
The  conclusion,  therefore,  is,  that,  whatever  inadequacy  or  ineffi- 
ciency the  railroads  display,  the  solution  in  this  district  is  not  to 
be  by  use  of  the  waterway.  Rather  than  that,  it  is  to  be  by  some 
systematic  well-worked-out  plan  of  co-ordination  of  service  be- 
tween all  transportation  agencies,  and  greater  efficiency  of  hand- 
ling at  terminals.  Aids  to  the  accomplishment  of  the  latter  may 
be  found  in  the  use  of  trucks  with  demountable  bodies  for  street 
and  yard  transfer  and  short  haul  traffic,  and  of  modern  and  spe- 
cialized appliances  for  speedy  loading  and  unloading. 


5» 

CHAPTER  VI  I 

THE  POTENTIAL  TRAFFIC  I 

The  degree  of  utilization  of  the  waterway,  when  it  is  com- 
pleted, and  the  commodities  that  will  be  carried  on  it  are  prob- 
lematic. Several  prophesies,  however,  of  the  probable  future 
traffic  have  been  made,  the  basis  being,  in  most  cases,  the  capacity 
of  the  waterway  and  the  production  of  the  tributary  area.  For  in- 
stance, Mr.  M.  G.  Barnes,  Chief  Engineer  of  the  Illinois  Division 
of  Waterways,  gives  60,000,000  tons  as  the  capacity  of  the  pro- 
posed Illinois  Waterway,  with  prospects  of  attaining  capacity 
tonnage  as  bright  as  possessed  by  the  Soo.^  He  upholds  this  state- 
ment with  the  fact  that  the  Mississippi  Valley  is  the  greatest  pro- 
ducing area  in  the  United  States  with  a  population  of  6o,ooo,coo. 
At  the  rate  of  production  of  20  tons  per  capita^*  this  would  give  a 
total  production  of  1,200,000,000  tons  for  the  waterway  to  draw 
upon.-  He  states,  also,  that  a  "hasty  survey  of  the  commerce 
available  revealed  that  there  was  a  large  tonnage  of  raw  products 
such  as  coal,  sand,  gravel,  grain,  and  lumber  immediately  adjacent 
to  the  river  banks  awaiting  a  cheap  means  of  transportation  to  a 
proper  consumptive  demand.  This  freight  was  supplemented  by 
large  tonnage  of  manufactured  articles  that  would  seek  transpor- 
tation between  Chicago  and  St.  Louis  and  points  southward  to 
the  sea."^  In  a  similar  optimistic  vein  the  late  William  L.  Sackett, 
then  Superintendent  of  the  Illinois  Division  of  Waterways,  figured 
that  ^20,000,000  would  represent  the  annual  saving  on  coal  alone, 
when  transportation  on  the  waterway  was  furnished  to  Chicago.* 
On  his  list  of  commodities  for  waterway  transportation  are  sugar, 
coffee,  rice,  and  sisal  moving  upstream,  and  manufactures  from 
Chicago  industrial  concerns  downstream.^  To  this  Mr.  Barnes 
adds  lumber  from  the  Pacific  coast,  which  he  believes  will  keep 
"several  fleets  of  boats  constantly  employed."*' 

*M.  G.  Barnes,  "The  Illinois  Waterway,"  Report  of  the  Illinois  Legislative 
Joint  Committee,  (Appointed  under  House  Joint  Resolution,  1921)   1921,  p.  9. 

'"The  Department  of  Commerce,  U.  S.,  gives  18  tons  average  for  the  United 
States. 

'Barnes,  op.  cit. 

^Fifth  Annual  Report  of  Illinois  Division  of  Waterways,  1922,  p.  69. 

^Fourth  Annual  Report  of  Illinois  Division  of  Waterways,  192 1,  p.  13. 

^Ibid.,  p.  14. 

'Barnes,  op.  cit.,  p.  12. 

86    ' 


•315]  THE   POTENTIAL  TRAFFIC  8/ 

While  this  sounds  very  favorable  for  the  waterway,  and  the 
people  who  are  spending  money  for  its  improvement  would  like 
to  believe  it  true,  investigation  shows  such  a  line  of  reasoning  to 
be  fallacious.  In  the  first  place,  in  estimating  the  capacity  of  the 
waterway  it  is  very  probable  that  the  figure  set  is  much  too  high, 
for  many  factors  beside  safe  distance  between  cargo  fleets  and 
time  required  for  lockage  must  be  considered.  Traffic  does  not 
move  in  an  uninterrupted  stream  with  uniform  flow  throughout 
the  year.  The  great  seasonal  fluctuation  of  traffic  has  been  noted  in 
the  discussion  of  railroad  car  shortage  (pages  63  and  65).  The  same 
condition  would  apply  to  the  waterway,  that  is,  slack  seasons  alter- 
nate with  busier  ones.  The  measure  of  the  capacity  of  the  waterway 
would  be  during  the  period  of  heavy  traffic,  and  the  practical  an- 
nual capacity  would  be  the  twelve  months  total.  Moreover,  where 
locks  are  to  be  passed  through,  fleets  do  not  move  at  a  uniform 
rate.  Delays  and  dissatisfaction  occur  long  before  capacity  vol- 
ume is  reached.  Complaints  have  already  been  voiced  of  conges- 
tion of  boats  at  some  places  on  the  New  York  Barge  Canal,^ 
though  it  has  never  reached  more  than  a  small  part  of  its  esti- 
mated capacity."*  It  is  said  that,  if  canal  commerce  continues  to 
increase  and  a  few  hundred  more  freight  carrying  vessels  appear, 
"such  congestion  will  be  created  as  will  demand  widening  the  nar- 
row sections  of  the  canal  and  building  of  additional  locks  along- 
side the  present  ones  at  several  important  points  along  the  route. ^ 
This  congestion  appeared,  therefore,  with  a  record  of  only  about 
two  and  one-fourth  million  tons  of  freight  carried  for  that  year 
(1922)  on  the  entire  system.^ 

Due  allowance  must  also  be  made  for  the  period  during  which 
movement  of  traffic  is  interrupted  by  ice.  In  this  respect  the  Illi- 
nois Waterway  is  more  favorably  placed  than  the  New  York 
canals.  Nevertheless,  water  navigation  is  interrupted  by  ice  in 
the  Mississippi  farther  south  than  St.  Louis.    During  periods  of 


''Annual  Report  of  Superintendent  of  Public  JVorks,  New  York  State,  1922, 
p.  36. 

'"Ten  per  cent  in  1923,  its  heaviest  tonnage  year  to  date. 

''Annual  Report  of  Superintendent  of  Public  JVorks,  New  York  State,  1922, 

P-  37- 

'"Inland  Water  Transportation  in  the  United  States,"  Miscellaneous  Series, 
No.  iig.  Bureau  of  Foreign  and  Domestic  Commerce,  1923,  p.  36. 


88  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS   WATERWAY         [316 

ice  closure  the  Federal  Barge  Line  maintains  traffic  service  be- 
tween St.  Louis  and  Cairo  by  rail.^°  During  forty-three  recent 
years  the  Mississippi  north  of  Cairo  has  been  closed  by  ice  twenty- 
three  times/^  and  navigation  wholly  suspended  for  weeks  each 
time.  In  the  winter  of  1917-1918  ice  gorges  extended  to  a  point 
thirty  miles  below  Memphis,  and  river  traffic  was  interrupted  for 
seventy-six  days.^-  An  occasional  winter  occurs,  however,  as  in 
1912-1913,  when  the  river  remains  open."  On  the  upper  Illinois 
River  records  made  in  1891  showed  an  average  of  about  seventy 
days  each  year  when  the  river  was  closed  by  ice,  the  period  ex- 
tending from  about  December  21st  to  March  yth.^*  Since  that 
time,  however,  the  closed  period  has  undoubtedly  been  consider- 
ably decreased  by  the  flow  of  warmer  water  from  Chicago  sewers, 
and  now  and  then  a  winter  passes  in  which  the  river  is  not  closed. 
It  is  probable  that  the  w'aterway  could  be  kept  open  during  the 
majority  of  winters  by  means  of  ice  boats.  However,  the  uncer- 
tainty attached  to  it  and  the  fact  that  the  winter  season  tends  to 
be  one  of  heavy  traffic  would  always  reduce  the  value  of  the  water- 
way as  an  essential  avenue  of  transportation.  It  is  significant  in 
this  connection  that  the  two  commodities  generally  conceded  to  be 
the  most  promising  articles  for  waterway  carriage, — coal  and  grain, 
offer  for  transportation  their  heaviest  traffic  during  the  fall  and 
winter  months,  two  of  which  include  the  months  when  the  water- 
way would  be  likely  to  be  closed  (Table  VI). 

TABLE  VI.— PRODUCTION  OF  COAL  IN  ILLINOIS  BY  MONTHS 

July 3,346,800         January 8,417,000 

August 4, 474, ICC  February 6,903,880 

September 6,359,000  March 6,854,300 

October 7,466,10c         April 3>073j36o 

November 6,546,400  May 3,294,400 

December 7,139,000         June 3»i79>550 

(Average  for  the  years  1922-1925,  inclusive.  April,  May,  June,  and  July 
production  slightly  reduced  by  the  strike  in  1922.  Figures  from  Annual  Coal 
Report,  1925,  p.  39)' 

^"The  Federal  Barge  Line,  1921.     (Pamphlet) 

"John  H.  Peyton,  "The  Great  Lakes  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  Project,"  Cong. 
Digest,  III   (1924),  385. 

''^Annual  Report  of  St.  Louis  Merchants'  Exchange,  1923,  p.  37. 

''Ibi^. 

"L.  E.  Cooley,  The  Lakes  and  Gidf  Waterway  as  Related  to  the  Chicago 
Sanitary  Problem,  Chicago,  1891.     (Pamphlet) 


317]  THE   POTENTIAL  TRAFFIC  89 

The  assumption  that  a  large  part  of  the  traffic  of  the  Missis- 
sippi Valley  will  naturally  go  over  to  the  waterway  once  it  is 
finished  also  needs  verification.  It  is  true  that  this  is  a  populous 
and  prosperous  region,  giving  rise  to  an  enormous  amount  of  both 
domestic  and  foreign  commerce.  However,  the  determination  of 
the  kind  of  carrier  to  be  utilized  involves  many  factors.  Surveys 
from  which  conclusions  such  as  the  above  have  been  drawn  have 
been  much  too  "hasty."  The  ton-mile  freight  rate  is  not  always 
the  major  factor.  The  nature  of  the  resource  and  its  relation  to 
the  waterway,  the  distribution  of  consuming  markets,  the  con- 
centration of  population,  other  means  of  transportation  and  the 
advantages  they  offer,  the  relative  cost  of  transportation  by  water 
compared  to  that  by  other  agents,  and  already  established  trade 
practices  are  among  the  factors  that  must  be  considered.  No  two 
waterways  are  identical  in  their  advantages  and  possibilities  for 
carrying  a  large  amount  of  traffic.  To  make  prophesies  based 
upon  experiences  on  waterways  quite  unlike,  in  any  important 
respect,  the  one  under  discussion  is  dangerous  to  the  truth.  In  the 
remainder  of  the  chapter  the  writer  will  attempt  to  analyze  the 
situation  in  regard  to  each  class  of  commodity  offering  any  con- 
siderable promise  to  the  waterway.  The  determination  of  the  im- 
portance of  this  route  as  a  part  of  the  country's  transportation 
system  is  the  end  in  view. 

Coal 

Probably  more  has  been  said  of  the  Illinois  Waterway  as  a 
carrier  of  coal  than  of  any  other  commodity.  This  is  not  strange, 
as  Illinois  is  the  third  state  in  the  Union  in  coal  production  and 
contains  within  its  borders  the  greatest  coal  market  in  the  coun- 
try.^^  The  "Coal  Measure"  area  is  equal  to  66.94  per  cent  of  that 
of  the  entire  State^°  (Fig-  n)?  ^^d  at  least  five  important  produc- 
ing seams  have  been  worked.^'' 


"F.  C.  Honnold,  "Chicago  is  the  World's  Greatest  Coal  Market,"  Coal  Agg, 
XXI   (1921),  18. 

"A.  Bement,  'The  Illinois  Coal  Field,"  Bid.  16,  Illinois  State  Geol.  Survey, 
1917,  p.  183. 

"Ibid.,  p.  185. 


90  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [3  1 8 

Coal  Mining  in  Illinois 

Coal  mining  began  in  Illinois  as  early  as  1810,  when  a  "ship- 
ment of  a  flatboat  load  of  coal  to  New  Orleans"  from  Brownsville, 
Jackson  County,  was  made,^^  the  first  shipment  of  Illinois  coal  to 
be  recorded. ^^  Early  mining  was  practically  confined  to  the  val- 
leys of  the  major  streams  and  their  tributaries,  because  here  erosion 
had  exposed  the  coal,  making  its  presence  known  and  eliminating 
the  necessity  of  expensive  prospecting.  So  commonly  was  it  seen 
in  this  situation  and  not  elsewhere,  that  the  idea  became  current 
that  Illinois  coal  lay  "principally  in  the  ravines  and  points  of 
bluffs."-^  River  valleys  also  contained  the  chief  centers  of  popu- 
lation, for  the  river  offered  to  the  people  the  easiest  means  of  pen- 
etration into  the  region.  Water  transportation  also  figured  prom- 
inently in  the  marketing  of  coal,  the  first  railroad  in  the  Missis- 
sippi Valley  being  built  to  carry  coal  from  the  mine  on  the 
Mississippi  bluff  to  the  river  opposite  St.  Louis,  1837.-^  That  trans- 
portation of  coal  by  water  retained  its  importance  until  late  in  the 
nineteenth  century  is  evidenced  by  the  location  of  the  leading  coal 
producing  counties.  Of  the  nineteen  counties  reported  in  the 
United  States  Census  for  1840,  thirteen  bordered  the  Wabash, 
Ohio,  Illinois,  or  Mississippi  rivers,  and  five  others  were  reached 
by  an  important  tributary  of  one  of  these  streams.-^  La  Salle 
County  held  first  place  in  1881,  1882,  and  1887,  and  is  eleventh 
in  amount  of  coal  produced  in  the  forty-four  years  since  county 
records  have  been  kept.-^  Peoria  County  is  fifteenth  in  the  total 
coal  produced  during  the  same  time,  and  it  occupied  15th  place  in 
the  production  of  coal  for  the  year  1924.  From  this  county  was 
shipped  the  only  coal  marketed  by  water  in  1925,  the  railroads 
in  the  meantime  having  appropriated  practically  all  the  coal  traf- 

"S.  0.  Andros,  "Coal  Mining  in  Illinois,"  Coal  Mining  Investigations,  Bui. 
13,  Illinois  State  Geol.  Survey,  1915,  pp.  13-14. 

"N.  0.  Barrett,  '"Mineral  Resources  of  Illinois  in  1917  and  1918,"  Bui.  38, 
Illinois  State  Geol.  Survey,  1922,  p.  60. 

^'''Illinois  and  its  Resources,"  Hunt's  Merchants'  Magazine,  V  (1841),  434. 

"William  K.  Ackerman,  "Early  Illinois  Railroads,"  Fergus  History  Series, 
No.  23,  1884,  p.  14. 

"Barrett,  op.  cit.,  p.  61. 

^^Annual  Coal  Report  of  Department  of  Mines  and  Minerals,  Illinois,  1925, 
p.  38. 


319]  THE  POTENTIAL  TRAFFIC  9I 

fic.-*  One  of  the  important  factors  in  the  remarkable  increase  in 
coal  production  in  Illinois  prior  to  1893  was  the  development  of 
railroad  mileage  (Fig.  10).  However,  the  lack  of  accordance  of 
the  curves  since  that  date  shows  that  other  factors  have  been  of 
greater  importance  In  the  increase  of  coal  production  in  recent 
years. 

One  of  the  most  important  factors  in  the  increase  of  coal  pro- 
duction in  recent  years  is  the  development  of  coal  mining  in  the 
thicker  seams  of  better  coal  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State.  Illi- 
nois coal  lacks  uniformity  in  quality  and  in  thickness  of  seams.  In 
general,  it  may  be  said  that  the  coal  of  the  State  increases  in 
thickness  and  improves  in  quality  toward  the  south.  The  northern 
field  in  Bureau,  La  Salle,  and  Grundy  counties  (Figs.  9  and  11) 
is  one  of  relatively  thin  coal  seams  (three  to  four  feet  in  thick- 
ness), though  at  an  earlier  date  operation  of  a  comparatively 
small  body  of  thick  coal  gave  La  Salle  County  its  lead.^^  Peoria 
and  Fulton  County  coal  seams  average  about  four  feet,  and  the 
middle  field  in  Sangamon,  Macoupin,  Madison,  and  St.  Clair 
counties  seven  and  one-half,  while  in  Williamson  County  the  seam 
averages  nine  feet  of  coal.^''  Keen  competition  exists  between  the 
mines  in  the  regions  of  thin  and  thick  coal  seams  with  the  advan- 
tage on  the  side  of  the  thicker  coal.  The  result  has  been  an  abrupt 
rise  in  the  curve  of  production  of  the  southern  counties,  while  the 
decline  in  the  northern  field  has  been  actual  as  well  as  relative. 
The  decrease  in  the  production  of  Grundy  County  from  more  than 
four  per  cent  of  the  State's  production  in  1903,  or  1,457,935  tons, 
to  one  seventh  that  amount  twenty  years  later  illustrates  the 
point.^^  In  the  meantime  Franklin  County  has  risen  from  4,240 
tons  in  1904  to  9,267,320  tons  in  1924,  or  one-eighth  of  the  total 
production  of  the  State.  The  southern  mines  are  larger  and  the 
machinery  more  modern.  More  steady  employment  can  be  offered 
to  the  men,  also,  which  has  drawn  miners  to  this  district  from 
other  fields.^*  Furthermore,  this  southern  field  has  the  advantage 
of  containing  coal  with  the  lowest  per  cent  of  sulphur  of  any  in  the 

^^12,750  tons  of  a  total  of  40,659,826  tons  shipped  in  Illinois  went  by  water. 

"Bement,  op.  cit.,  p.  193. 

''Ibid.,  p.  191. 

"Jjinual  Coal  Reports  of  Department  of  Mines  and  Minerals,  Illinois. 

="The  Illinois  Coal  Cases,  32,  I.  C.  C.  672  (1915). 


92  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [3  20 


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321] 


THE   POTENTIAL  TRAFFIC 


93 


Fig.   II.     Coal  Fields  of  Ilunois 
(Double  cross-lined  area,  less  than  1.25  per  cent  sulphur,  triple  cross-lined,  less 

than  I  per  cent) 


94  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [322 

State  (Fig.  ii),  some  of  it  having  less  than  a  one  per  cent  content 
of  that  element.  Superior  thickness  and  quality  of  coal,  great  care 
in  washing  and  grading  to  suit  market  requirements,'^'-'  and  active 
marketing  agencies  have  enabled  the  southern  Illinois  operators 
to  compete  successfully  with  the  northern  mines  not  only  in  the 
markets  of  the  State,  but  also  those  of  the  Northwest.  In  1925 
Franklin  and  Williamson  counties  alone  produced  approximately 
one-third  the  total  for  the  State,  and  furnished  about  three- 
eighths  of  the  State's  commercial  coal,  that  is,  that  shipped  to 
market^°  (Fig.  10). 

The  progressive  migration  of  the  center  of  coal  production 
farther  and  farther  from  the  principal  markets  has  given  rise  to  a 
vital  transportation  problem  in  Illinois.  Operators  in  the  southern 
fields,  because  of  their  great  distance  from  markets,  clamor  for 
cheaper  freight  rates,  and  northern  mine  owners  maintain  that 
they  must  have  a  substantial  differential  below  the  rates  to  the 
southern  mines  in  order  to  compete  with  them.^^  All  Illinois  con- 
cerns, therefore,  which  handle  or  use  Illinois  coal,  are  interested 
in  the  promise  of  cheaper  rates  on  the  waterway.  Moreover,  the 
coal  business  is  of  such  proportions  that  a  slight  advantage  oifered 
by  water  transportation  would  be  magnified  to  a  considerable  im- 
portance. It  is  worth  while,  therefore,  to  give  consideration  to  the 
degree  that  transportation  of  Illinois  coal  is  likely  to  be  affected 
by  the  projected  waterway  improvement. 

Markets  for  Illinois  Coal 

Several  factors  enter  into  the  problem  of  the  marketing  of  coal, 
among  which  are  distance  from  market,  adequacy  of  transporta- 
tion facilities,  quality  of  the  product,  cost  of  production,  compe- 
tition with  other  coal,  and  the  established  system  of  railroad  freight 
organization. 

The  greatest  single  market  for  Illinois  coal  is  the  Chicago 
district,  which  consumes  annually  approximately  thirty-six  million 
tons  of  coal.^-   Of  this  sum  Illinois  contributed  more  than  sixteen 


'The  Illinois  Coal  Cases,  32,  I.  C.  C.  672  (191S). 

"Annual  Coal  Report  of  Department  of  Mines  and  Minerals,  1925,  p.  61. 

'32  I.  C.  C.  668-669  (1915). 

"Honnold,  op.  cit.,  p.  18. 


323]  THE   POTENTIAL  TRAFFIC  95 

million  tons  in  1919.^^  In  this  district,  however,  Illinois  coal  must 
compete  with  eastern  coal,  which,  because  of  its  high  quality  and 
the  low  ton-mile  rate  offered  by  the  railroads  for  long  hauls,  is 
permitted  to  enter  the  Chicago  market  successfully.  In  19 19,  about 
sis  million  tons  of  eastern  coal  is  estimated  to  have  been  consumed 
in  this  district.^*  The  proximity  of  the  Indiana  field,  also,  accounts 
for  the  estimated  consumption  of  about  6,896,000  tons  of  coal 
from  that  state.  These  amounts,  with  about  two  and  one-half 
million  tons  of  coke  and  about  1.6  million  tons  of  Pennsylvania 
anthracite  supplied  the  fuel  demands  of  the  Chicago  district  for 
1919.35 

The  supply  of  Illinois  coal  for  the  Chicago  district  is  obtained 
from,  various  parts  of  the  State.  The  proximity  of  the  Grape 
Creek  field  of  Vermilion  County  and  the  excellence  of  its  coal  for 
steam  give  it  an  advantage  in  the  industrial  district  of  South  Chi- 
cago. The  coal  of  the  Springfield  district  is  rather  high  in  ash,  but 
it  is  hard  and  strong  and  low  in  sulphur,  which,  with  relatively 
low  mining  costs,  permits  it  to  enter  the  Chicago  market.  Washed 
screenings  from  the  Virden  and  Pana  fields,  also,  find  a  sale  there. 
The  southern  Illinois  district,  however,  is  particularly  fav^ored. 
This  coal  is  relatively  clean  and  free  from  impurities,  that  of 
Sahne  County  having  the  reputation  of  being  the  best  coal  mined 
in  the  State.^^  The  calorific  value  is  higher  and  the  sulphur  con- 
tent lower  in  this  southern  section  than  elsewhere  in  the  State 
(Fig.  11).  Low  cost  of  production,  superior  quality  of  coal,  and 
atteniton  to  market  requirements  have  enabled  this  district  to  com- 
pete successfully  with  other  Illinois  coals  both  within  and  without 
the  State.  It  finds  a  ready  sale  in  every  market  reached  by  Illi- 
nois coal. 

The  St.  Louis  district  offers  another  important  market  for 
Illinois  coal,  this  city,  with  East  St.  Louis,  having  consumed  about 
ten  per  cent  of  the  Illinois  product  in  1915.^'  The  chief  supply  of 
coal  consumed  here  is  obtained  from  the  nearby  mines  in  the  ad- 
jacent Central  Illinois  field.    A  smaller  amount  is  brought  also  by 

'Hbid. 

''Ibid. 

''Ibid. 

"Bement,  op.  cit.,  p.  2C2. 

■'Andros,  op.  cit.,  p.  221. 


96  THE   GF.ONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF   THE    ILLINOIS   WATERWAY         [324 

rail  from  Kentucky.^^  No  coal  has  been  brought  by  water  since 
1916,  when  13,350  tons  came  from  the  Ohio  River  region. ^^  In 
1924,  more  than  6,200,000  tons  moved  into  the  St.  Louis  district.*'' 
Illinois  coal  dominates  not  only  the  St,  Louis  market,  but  that  of 
Missouri  and  Iowa  almost  to  the  eastern  margin  of  their  own  coal 
fields  and  it  has  a  scattering  trade  beyond. 

The  coalless  Northwest  offers  a  large  and  growing  market, 
especially  in  southwestern  Wisconsin,  northern  Iowa,  southern 
Minnesota,  and  eastern  South  Dakota.  In  this  region,  however, 
competition  must  be  met  with  coal  from  Iowa  and  lake-shipped 
eastern  coal.*^  The  exceptionally  low  freight  rates  on  the  lakes 
enables  coal  from  the  Appalachian  field  to  enter  ports  as  far  south 
as  Milwaukee  for  distribution  to  the  north  and  west  in  successful  S 

competition  with  Illinois  coal.   This  trade  has  been  so  important     .  ♦ 

that  not  until  comparatively  recent  times  has  Illinois  coal  moved  | 

in   any  considerable  quantity  as  far  northwest  as  St.  Paul  and  ! 

Minneapolis.*^  A  lesser  market  is  offered  by  western  Iowa  and 
eastern  Nebraska,  to  which  coal  moves  in  moderate  amounts  from 
Illinois.*^ 

To  the  south  and  southwest  Illinois  coal  reaches  markets  as 
far  as  Texas,  Louisiana,  and  Mississippi.  Competition  with  south- 
ern coal  fields  and  increasing  use  of  fuel  oil,  as  well  as  limited 
industrial  development  in  the  South,  contribute  toward  limiting 
the,  demand  for  Illinois  coal  in  this  section.  The  amount,  there- 
fore, moving  in  this  direction  is  relatively  small.  To  the  east  there 
is  practically  no  movement  of  Illinois  coal,  due  to  the  superior 
quality  of  eastern  coals  and  the  present  organization  of  freight 
traffic,  which  makes  it  difficult  to  get  cars  for  this  purpose." 

Other  markets  within  the  State  are  mainly  in  the  northern 
part,  where  is  found  the  greatest  concentration  of  industry.  It  is 
said  that  industries  located  along  the  route  of  the  waterway  from 
Joliet  to  Chicago  accounted  for  an  annual  consumption  of  five 

^'St.  Louis  Chamber  of  Commerce,  a  letter.  ■, 

^^The  Coal  Trade,  1921,  p.  48.  I 

*°St.  Louis  Chamber  of  Commerce,  a  letter. 

"H.  Foster  Bain,   ''Studies  of  Illinois  Coal,"  Bid.  14,  Illinois  State  Geol. 
Survey,  1909,  p.  253. 
^'Ibid. 
"Ibid. 
**Ibid.  '  1 


325]  THE  POTENTIAL  TRAFFIC  97 

million  tons  of  coal  in  1915.*^  In  some  sections  the  coal  output  is 
small  enough  for  the  local  market  to  consume  it  all.  For  example, 
twenty-one  of  the  fifty-four  coal  producing  counties  of  Illinois  in 
1925  reported  no  shipping  mines.**'  This  is  true  of  Rock  Island 
County,  the  small  amount  now  produced  being  disposed  of  in  Dav- 
enport, Iowa,  and  Rock  Island  and  Moline,  Illinois.*"  The  Grundy 
County  product,  also,  is  consumed  locally,  the  less  than  260,000 
tons  of  commercial  coal  produced  in  1925  being  sold  to  the  Santa 
Fe  and  to  the  Elgin,  Joliet,  and  Eastern  Railroads,  which  pass 
through  the  district.*^  This  field  of  good  quality  coal  lies  only 
about  fifty-five  miles  from  Chicago  and  was  once  the  chief  source 
of  bituminous  coal  used  in  that  city.  However,  the  seam  worked 
is  only  about  three  feet  thick  and  the  cost  of  production  is  rela- 
tively high.  Recently  it  has  been  successively  displaced  by  the 
Indiana  block  coal  and  that  from  southern  Illinois,  both  of  which 
can  be  produced  at  a  sufficiently  lower  cost  to  overcome  the  differ- 
ence in  freight  rates.  A  similar  condition  exists  in  the  La  Salle 
district,  where  a  thin  coal  seam  and  high  cost  of  mining  have  pre- 
vented successful  competition  with  other  coal.  This  coal  has  a 
considerable  quantity  of  earthy  impurities,  but  it  is  hard  and 
strong  and  stands  shipping  well.*^  For  this  reason  it  once  enjoyed 
a  satisfactory  market  to  the  northwest,  and  washed  coal  was  mar- 
keted in  Chicago.^''  At  present  none  of  the  greatly  reduced  pro- 
duction reaches  Chicago,  and  it  never  moves  farther  than  150 
miles  from  the  mines.  Cheaper  mining  costs  and  higher  quality 
of  product  has  enabled  southern  Illinois  coal  to  displace  it  even  in 
the  home  market.  Though  there  are  two  mines  at  La  Salle  and 
Peru  on  the  main  street  and  requiring  only  a  wagon  haul,  much 
of  the  domestic  coal  used  there  is  from  southern  Illinois.  Southern 
Illinois  also  furnishes  the  screenings  used  in  the  electric  plant  at 


^^■'Will  Midwest  Rivers  Reduce  the  Cost  of  Illinois  Coal  to  Chicago  and 
Northwest  Consumers?"  Coal  Age,  XXV   (1924),  247. 

^Annual  Coal  Report  of  Department  of  Mines  and  Minerals,  Illinois,  1925, 

P-  59- 

"Communication  from  A.  Bement. 

*^  Annual  Coal  Report  of  Department -of  Mines  and  Minerals,  Illinois,  1925, 
p.  63. 

^"Bement,  "The  Illinois  Coal  Field,"  p.  199. 

''Ibid. 


98  THE  GEONOMIC   ASPECTS   OF   THE   ILLINOIS   WATERWAY         [326 

La  Salle. ^^  The  Fulton  and  Peoria  field  has  depended  on  western 
markets  more  than  have  the  mining  regions  to  the  east,  owing  to 
the  barrier  presented  by  the  Illinois  River  (Fig.  ii).  Formerly 
much  of  this  coal  was  shipped  to  markets  outside  the  state,^-  but 
the  present  reduced  production  is  consumed  in  the  surrounding 
territory,  none  of  it  moving  more  than  150  miles  to  the  west.^^ 
The  railroads  constitute  the  chief  purchaser.  Other  important 
coal  consuming  centers  in  the  State  are  Elgin,  Rockford,  Aurora, 
and  Kankakee,  which,  however,  are  too  far  from  the  waterway  to 
profit  from  its  use. 

In  competition  with  eastern  coal  the  Illinois  product  is  at  a 
disadvantage.  It  has  a  comparatively  high  moisture  content,  which 
reduces  the  heat  value  per  unit  of  weight  and  causes  the  coal  to 
break  more  readily  after  mining.  In  storage  it  deteriorates  and  Is 
subject  to  spontaneous  combustion.^*  Considerable  breakage  with 
rehandling  formerly  retarded  its  entrance  into  distant  markets, 
except  by  all  rail  routes  and  at  the  season  of  maximum  demand.^^ 
Approximately  one-half  of  the  coal  mined  in  Illinois  is  consumed 
within  the  State. 

For  special  uses  coal  of  a  certain  quality  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary. Gas  making  and  the  production  of  metallurgical  coke  require 
a  relatively  pure  coal,  sulphur  being  very  objectionable.  To  be  a 
good  coking  coal  there  should  not  be  a  sulphur  content  to  exceed 
1.25  per  cent,  and  less  than  one  per  cent  is  preferred.  As  sulphur 
reaches  as  high  as  six  per  cent  in  some  Illinois  coals,  it  was  for- 
merly thought  to  be  unfit  for  coke  production.  Experiments  with 
Illinois  coal  in  recent  years  show,  however,  that  coke  suitable  for 
certain  purposes  can  be  made  from  it.  When  unmixed  with  other 
coal  it  tends  to  make  a  light  and  friable  coke,  which  shatters  badly 
with  handling  and  gives  way  readily  under  the  overburden  in  iron 
furnaces.^"  By  mixing  with  low-volatile  coking  coal  from  the 
Eastern  field  the  quality  of  coke  is  much  improved.   Mixtures  of 

"Communication  from  A.  Bement. 
"Bement,  'The  Illinois  Coal  Field,"  p.  200. 
"Communication  from  A.  Bement. 
"Bain,  op.  cit.,  p.  249. 
''Ibid. 

'"F.  K.  Ovitz,  "Coking  of  Illinois  Coals,"  Btil.  13S,  Bureau  of  Mines,  1917, 
p.  II. 


327]  THE  POTENTIAL  TRAFFIC  99 

twenty  per  cent  of  Illinois  coal  have  given  better  results  than  those 
containing  larger  proportions.^^  Coal  with  a  low  ash  content,  also, 
is  more  successfully  used.  Though  twenty  to  thirty  per  cent  of  the 
ash  can  be  removed  by  washing  or  dry  cleaning,  the  cost  of  five  to 
ten  cents  per  ton  for  washing  and  the  loss  of  from  ten  to  twenty- 
five  per  cent  of  the  coal  in  the  operation  is  usually  sufficient  to 
limit  coke  making  to  the  coals  with  a  low  ash  content.^^ 

The  Illinois  coal  that  answers  the  requirements  most  closely 
is  found  In  the  southern  Illinois  field,  where  two  areas  have  been 
located  having  less  than  1.25  per  cent  of  sulphur  (Figure  ii).  A 
part  of  the  area,  lying  mostly  In  Franklin  county  has  even  less 
than  one  per  cent.  As  this  coal  Is  abundant  and  accessible,  It  prom- 
ises for  Illinois  a  great  future  In  coke  making. 

Perhaps  the  most  Important  event  In  the  history  of  coke  mak- 
ing in  Illinois  is  the  perfection  of  the  so-called  Roberts  coke  oven, 
which  permits  the  coal  to  be  heated  uniformly  throughout  during 
the  process  of  coking.^^  Coke  has  been  made  successfully  In  this 
oven  by  the  St.  Louis  Coke  and  Chemical  Company  at  Granite 
City,  Illinois,  since  January,  192 1.  Mixtures  have  been  used  in 
which  Illinois  coal  predominated,  and  also  Illinois  coal  has  been 
used  alone,  when  one  low  enough  in  ash  and  sulphur  could  be  se- 
cured. The  coal  used  Is  from  Franklin  and  Williamson  counties 
and  the  quality  of  furnace  coke  produced  In  this  way  Is  exception- 
ally high.*^°  The  Invention  of  the  Roberts  process  Is  especially  sig- 
nificant, as  the  amount  of  the  recognized  coking  coal  Is  relatively 
limited.  As  this  supply  becomes  depleted  it  is  of  Inestimable  ad- 
vantage to  the  Iron  and  steel  Industry  to  have  made  available  to  Its 
use  the  enormous  deposits  of  the  hitherto  non-coking  coal.  It  Is 
not  to  be  understood,  however,  that  by  this  process  the  Illinois  coal 
becomes  the  equal  of  the  eastern  bituminous  coking  coal.  The  lat- 
ter, when  coked  in  the  Roberts  oven  maintains  its  standard  of  ex- 
cellence, and  coke  can  be  produced  from  It  at  less  cost  than  can 
coke  from  the  Illinois  coal.  The  quality  of  the  coke  and  of  the  by- 

'Ibid.,  p.  13. 

""Ibid.,  p.  18. 

"M.  W.  Ditto,  '"Design  and  Operation  of  Roberts  Coke  Oven,"  Trans.  Amer. 
Inst.  Min.  and  Met.  Eng.,  LXIX  (1923),  494. 

'°H.  V.  Patterson,  '"Roberts  Ovens  Successfully  Coke  Illinois  Coals,"  The 
Blast  Furnace  and  Steel  Plant,  X  (1922),  392. 


100  THE  GEONOMIC   ASPECTS   OF   THE    ILLINOIS   WATERWAY         [328 

products  from  Illinois  coal  is  comparable  to  that  from  other  coals, 
but  the  amount  of  surplus  gas  is  less,  as  the  Illinois  coal  requires 
more  heat  for  coking  than  the  usual  coking  coal.*^^  It  is  improb- 
able, therefore,  that  Illinois  coal  will  displace  the  eastern  product 
in  the  competitive  field  of  Chicago  and  of  coke  districts  farther 
east  as  long  as  eastern  coal  can  be  obtained  at  a  reasonable  price. 
There  are  in  and  near  Chicago  2,000  coke  ovens  with  a  capacity 
for  coking  33,000  tons  of  coal  per  day,  but  none  of  them  coke 
Illinois  coal.^-  That  such  a  change  as  to  a  new  type  of  oven  is 
likely  to  be  slow  is  evidenced  by  the  tardy  conversion  of  beehive 
coke  plants  to  those  with  by-product  ovens.  Instead  of  that  a  new 
coke  making  district  of  considerable  proportions  is  likely  to  de- 
velop in  the  regions  easily  accessible  to  the  low  sulphur  coal.  There 
are  already  in  existence  near  the  Illinois  coal  field  over  1,500  by- 
products ovens  using  9,000,000  tons  of  coal  annually.^^ 

For  successful  gas  making  a  similar  selection  of  high  quality 
coal  must  be  made.  Illuminating  gas  must  be  rid  of  the  sulphur 
before  marketing,  and  the  cost  of  purification  increases  with  the 
amount  of  sulphur  to  be  removed.  Therefore  high  sulphur  coal 
will  not  be  used  when  low  sulphur  coal  can  be  obtained.  Coal 
from  the  small  field  in  Jackson  County,  now  practically  worked 
out,  was  used  successfully  several  years  ago  in  some  small  plants 
in  Illinois  and  Missouri.^'*  Now  the  main  dependence  must  be  the 
field  in  Franklin  County.  At  some  of  the  small  gas  plants,  where 
the  cost  of  eastern  coal  is  too  high,  Illinois  coal  has  been  used 
alone.  At  other  plants  one-third  Illinois  coal  and  two-thirds  east- 
ern gas  coal  have  been  used.  During  the  war,  when  the  zoning 
ordinance  was  in  operation,  Illinois  was  thrown  back,  for  the  time, 
on  its  own  resources,  and  local  coal  came  into  more  general  use 
for  coke  and  gas  production.  The  lower  yield  of  gas,  however, 
largely  due  to  the  fact  that  Illinois  coal  requires  more  intense  heat 
for  coking,  caused  the  plants  operating  as  gas  companies  to  re- 


"Patterson,  op.  cit. 

"'H.  A.  Patterson,  "Good  Coke  now  Manufactured  from  Non-Coking  Coals 
of  Illinois,"  Coal  Age,  XXII  (1922),  45- 

*^M.  M.  Leighton,  "Illinois  Possesses  Low-Sulphur  Coal  Areas,"  Press  item, 
typewritten,  Dec,  1924. 

"Ovitz,  op.  cit.,  p.  21. 


329]  THE   POTENTIAL  TRAFFIC  101 

turn  to  eastern  coals  as  soon  as  possible.^^  The  Chicago  By- 
products Coke  Company  consumes  720,000  tons  of  coal  annually, 
all  of  which  is  shipped  by  rail  from  West  Virginia  and  eastern 
Kentucky.®^ 

Illinois  coal  is  recently  gaining  in  favor  as  a  domestic  fuel, 
approximately  25  per  cent  of  the  total  bituminous  coal  used  for 
household  consumption  in  the  United  States  being  produced  in 
Illinois.^^  Strikes  in  Pennsylvania  and  the  consequent  increase  in 
price  of  anthracite  and  in  the  difficulty  of  obtaining  it  has  helped 
to  put  Illinois  bituminous  on  the  market  for  domestic  use.  This 
market,  also,  promises  an  outlet  for  Illinois  coke,  as  for  this  pur- 
pose may  be  used  a  product  of  lower  grade  than  is  required  for 
metallurgical  work.  Recently,  however,  Illinois  coal  has  found  a 
keen  and  successful  competitor  in  the  coal  from  eastern  Kentucky 
and  Tennessee.  Non-union  labor  and  low  railroad  rates  enable 
these  mines  to  put  their  coal  on  the  markets  of  central  Illinois  at 
a  price  but  little  more  than  that  of  the  Franklin  County  or  Har- 
risburg  (Saline  County)  coal.  As  the  Kentucky  and  Tennessee 
product  is  a  less  smoky  and  more  satisfactory  fuel,  the  slight  dif- 
ference in  price  is  balanced  by  the  advantages  of  using  coal  of  a 
higher  quality. 

Though  much  has  been  said  about  Illinois  coal  for  coking 
purposes,  it  is  as  a  steam  coal  that  the  Illinois  product  is  used 
most.  For  this  purpose  it  is  excellent,  the  railroads  being  the 
largest  users.  In  1925,  railroad  companies  bought  nearly  one-third 
of  the  total  output  of  the  Illinois  mines  and  nearly  one-half  of  that 
shipped  to  market.^®  Industrial  plants  also  use  large  quantities 
for  steam  production,  and  it  is  primarily  to  serve  these  concerns 
with  cheap  coal  from  the  southern  field  that  certain  business  con- 
cerns advocate  the  waterway.  Probably  some  eight  to  ten  million 
tons  of  coal  are  consumed  by  the  industrial  plants  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  waterway.  It  must  be  remembered,  however,  that  the  wa- 
terway is  not  designed  merely  to  provide  another  transportation 


°'H.  V.  Patterson,  op.  at. 

''Studies  made  by  Esther  Utzig,  University  of  Illinois. 
"Honnold,  op.  cit.,  p.  19. 

'^Annual  Coal  Report  of  Department  of  Mines  and  Minerals,  Illinois,  1925, 
P-  57- 


102  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [330 

line,  but  a  cheaper  one  than  now  exists.  Only  If  fulfilling  this  re- 
quirement is  its  purpose  served,  and  only  then,  also,  will  coal  move 
along  it  to  the  industrial  plants  farther  north. 

The  Transportatio7i  of  Illinois  Coal 

Turning  now  to  the  transportation  of  coal,  it  Is  apparent  from 
the  preceding  pages  that  the  freight  rate  Is  only  one  factor  In  the 
determination  of  the  price,  and  a  less  Important  one  than  is  gen- 
erally supposed  in  determining  the  sale  and  delivery  of  coal.  It  is 
evident,  also,  that  only  a  part  of  the  output,  in  any  event,  would 
be  available  for  carriage  on  the  waterway.  The  taking  over  of  the 
coal  traffic  by  the  railroads  and  the  shifting  of  the  important  pro- 
ducing regions  from  the  waterway  has  been  noted  (pa?es  90  and 

91). 

Even  proximity  to  the  waterway,  however,  does  not  insure 
water  carriage  for  coal,  as  a  study  of  the  records  for  the  last 
twenty-five  years  discloses.  Early  in  the  period  a  few  hundreds 
of  tons  were  shipped  from  La  Salle  on  the  Illinois  and  Michigan 
Canal,  and  an  occasional  cargo  went  from  Henry  County  on  the 
Hennepin  Canal.''^  Only  Peoria  County  has  a  persistent  and  con- 
tinuous record  of  shipment  of  coal  by  water.  At  Kingston  Mines 
the  Lancaster  Coal  Company  operates  a  mine  three-fourths  of  a 
mile  from  the  Illinois  River,  the  product  of  which  is  shipped 
mainly  by  boat.  The  reason  that  this  company  uses  the  river  is 
that  they  have  no  rail  connections  closer  than  four  miles,  and 
their  business  is  that  of  supplying  steamboats,  dredges,  pumping 
plants  of  drainage  districts,  and  towns  along  the  river  which  have 
no  rail  connections."*^  12,750  tons  vv'ere  shipped  by  water  in  1925. 
There  are  a  few  mines  In  Tazewell  County  within  a  mile  or  two  of 
the  waterway  producing  commercial  coal,  but  none  of  it  is  shipped 
by  water.  There  has  been  expressed  a  belief  that  this  coal  might 
be  off'ered  for  transportation  on  the  waterway  when  the  improve- 
ment is  completed,  but  this  seems  doubtful,  as  almost  their  entire 
output  is  now  purchased  by  railroad  companles.'^^ 

'"Annual  Coal  Reports  of  Department  of  Mines  and  Minerals,  Illinois,  1900- 

1925- 

'"Studies  made  by  Esther  Utzig,  University  of  Illinois. 

''^Directory  of  Operators  of  Shipping  Mines,  for  year  ending  June  30,  1925, 
pp.  10  and  12. 


33  I  ]  THE  POTENTIAL  TRAFFIC  lOj 

A  Study  of  Table  VH  and  Figure  9  reveals  the  fact  that  a 
relatively  small  amount  of  coal  is  produced  along  the  waterway. 
Figures  for  production  for  the  period,  1920-1923,  show  an  aver- 
age annual  production  of  only  one  and  one-half  million  tons  mined 
within  one  mile  of  the  Illinois  River  J-  Even  so  the  quality  of  this 
coal  is  not  high  enough  to  enable  it  to  compete  with  other  coal 
in  distant  markets,  therefore  it  is  eliminated  from  consideration 
of  the  waterway. 

The  relative  distance  to  the  principal  market  by  rail  direct 
and  by  the  waterway  is  important.  For  example,  Springfield  is 
about  180  miles  from  Chicago  by  the  Chicago  and  Alton  Railroad. 
By  way  of  Havana  and  the  waterway  it  would  be  nearly  fifty 
miles  by  rail,  and  over  200  by  water.  This  precludes  the  proba- 
bility of  the  coal  from  the  Springfield  district  seeking  the  Chicago 
market  by  water.  The  difference  in  freight  rate  by  rail  and  by 
water  could  not  be  great  enough  for  a  part,  only,  of  the  distance, 
to  compensate  for  the  extra  handling  required  for  transferrence 
from  land  to  water  carriage.  This  applies  to  an  even  greater  de- 
gree to  the  Saline  County,  \'irden,  Pana,  DuQuoin,  and  Centralla 
fields. 

There  has  been  some  hope  expressed  that  coal  from  the  Belle- 
ville district  (opposite  St.  Louis)  might  reach  Chicago  via  the 
waterway.  Here,  again,  an  inferior  quality  of  coal  excludes  it  from 
successful  competition  with  the  better  coals  in  the  Chicago  mar- 
ket, and  it  is  doubtful  if  the  slightly  lower  freight  rate  would  en- 
able It  to  gain  an  entrance  there. 

The  Big  Muddy  Project 

The  Franklin  and  Williamson  County  field  is  also  a  consider- 
able distance  from  a  waterway.  However,  the  great  production 
and  the  high  quality  of  the  coal  from  this  district  has  made  the 
cheap  marketing  of  it  seem  so  important  in  some  business  circles 
as  to  have  given  rise  to  the  contemplation  of  extensive  improve- 
ments to  make  it  available  for  water  carriage.  This  plan  involves 
the  dredging  and  otherwise  improving  of  the  Big  Muddy  River, 
which  flows  through  the  heart  of  this  important  coal  producing 

"Studies  made  by  Esther  Utzig,  University  of  Illinois. 


104  THE   GEONOMIC  ASPECTS   OF   THE   ILLINOIS   WATERWAY         [332 

TABLE  VII.— PRODUCTION  OF  COAL  IN  ILLINOIS, 
BY  COUNTIES,  1925 


County  Tons 

Adams 390 

Bond 296,383 

Bureau 396,542 

Cass* 3 ,  844 

Christian 3,823,214 

Clinton 905,382 

Edgar 4,420 

Franklin 13,082,622 

Fulton* 1 ,959,740 

Gallatin 34>558 

Greene* 1 2 ,  794 

Grundy* 484,870 

Hancock i  ,973 

Henry 162,378 

Jackson i  ,497,263 

Jefferson 271, 234 

Jersey* i  ,000 

Johnson 2 ,  500 

Knox 47,296 

LaSalle* 640,806 

Livingston 31,892 

Logan 283,774 

Macon 145,064 

Macoupin 6,215,109 

Madison 3,100,494 

Marion 298,911 

Marshall* 36,972 

"Counties  bordering  the  waterway. 


County  Tons 

McDonough 17,271 

McLean 16,431 

Menard 59,468 

Mercer 11 1 ,623 

Montgomery 2 , 1 56 ,  726 

Morgan* i  ,900 

Peoria* 915,356 

Perry 2,062,345 

Randolph 894,629 

Richland 14,400 

Rock  Island 31 ,476 

Saline 4,338,377 

Sangamon 5, 471 ,826 

Schuyler* 23,054 

Scott* 4,250 

Shelby 82,581 

Stark 14,264 

St.  Clair 2,900,369 

Tazewell* 644,688 

Vermilion 3,547, 184 

Wabash 11,800 

Warren 7,54° 

Washington 41 ,784 

White 12,988 

Will* 8,016 

Williamson 8,941 ,166 

Woodford* 103, 538 


area  and  enters  the  Mississippi  some  fifteen  miles  farther  south 
(Figs.  I  and  11).  It  is  very  crooked,  however,  and  also  very  low 
in  the  dry  season,  which  occurs  in  the  fall  when  coal  traffic  is 
heavy.  Storage  reservoirs  are  therefore  necessary,  which,  with  ad- 
justments to  bridges,  highways,  and  other  existing  conditions, 
makes  the  project  very  expensive.  Estimates  of  cost  for  two  routes 
have  been  made.  Route  One  involves  a  cut-off  which  shortens  the 
route  northward  by  24  miles,  but  adds  to  the  expense. '^^  The  esti- 
mates given  are  $4,279,364  and  $3,175,346,  respectively,  for  the 
two  routes.'* 

Conclusion 

The  amount  of  coal  this  would  bring  to  the  waterway  cannot 
be  definitely  determined.   William  L.  Sackett,  however,  estimated 

''^Fijth  Annual  Report  of  Illinois  Division  of  Waterways,  1922,  p.  54. 
''*lbid.,  pp.  52  and  57. 


333]  THE   POTENTIAL  TRAFFIC  IO5 

that  nearly  all  of  the  seventeen  and  one-half  million  tons  produced 
in  the  ten  mile  strip  along  the  river  route  in  192 1  would  be  avail- 
able for  water  transportation."^  In  the  opinion  of  the  writer  this 
figure  is  much  too  high.  The  region  Is  crossed  and  re-crossed  by 
numerous  railroads,  and  conveniently  placed  tipples  and  handling 
devices  are  already  in  operation.  To  establish  connections  with 
the  river,  therefore,  with  adequately  equipped  facilities  for  hand- 
ling river  traffic  would  mean  a  tremendous  additional  expense 
which  few  mines  are  likely  to  undertake.  The  West  Kentucky 
Coal  Company  has  Invested  $2,500,000  in  water  terminals  and  now 
ships  most  of  Its  coal  by  rail.^" 

Moreover,  some  means  of  land  conveyance  must  be  employed 
to  carry  the  coal  from  the  mine  to  the  boat,  for  little  coal  would 
be  mined  directly  on  the  river  bank.  Instead  of  being  loaded  di- 
rectly from  the  tipple  Into  the  railroad  car  ready  for  market,  an 
extra  handling  would  be  required  to  make  the  transfer.  This 
means  not  only  extra  cost  for  labor,  but  breakage  and  degradation 
of  the  coal.'^'  What  an  increase  In  the  relative  amount  of  the  finer 
coal  means  may  be  better  understood  If  the  relative  prices  are 
considered.  Screenings  bring  less  than  one-half  what  It  costs  to 
mine  the  coal,  and  nut  sizes  less  than  the  cost  of  productlon.'^^ 
The  deficit  which  thus  arises  is  charged  to  the  lump  sizes.  This 
explains  the  high  price  paid  by  the  public  for  coal  for  domestic 
purposes.  Most  of  this  fine  coal  results  from  mining  op- 
erations. However,  if  extra  breakage  incident  to  the  securing  of  a 
slightly  lower  freight  rate  to  industrial  plants  through  the  use  of  the 
waterway  means  higher  prices  to  domestic  consumers,  water  car- 
riage for  coal  has  a  doubtful  value. 

It  may  be  said  that  other  mines  will  be  opened  up  along  the 
river  If  the  Big  Muddy  is  improved,  but  such  a  development 
would  be  very  unfortunate.  The  coal  industry  is  already  over- 
developed. One  of  the  greatest  problems  of  the  coal  operator  is  to 
dispose  of  enough  coal  to  give  his  men  a  reasonable  amount  of 


'Ibid.,  p.  36. 

'Communication  from  the  president  of  the  West  Kentucky  Coal  Company. 

'■"Will  Midwest  Rivers  Reduce  the  Cost  of  Illinois  Coal,  etc.,"  p.  246. 


246. 


^Communication  from  the  president  of  the  West  Kentucky  Coal  Company. 


I06  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [334 

employment.  If  with  the  opening  of  new  mines  as  many  existing 
mines  must  be  closed,  the  hardship  to  those  concerned  would  at 
least  balance  any  possible  advantage  accruing  to  others  from  the 
use  of  the  waterway. 

It  is  not  reasonable  to  suppose,  either,  that  present  markets 
will  be  relinquished  in  favor  of  the  Chicago  market.  For  instance, 
it  seems  quite  probable  that  the  mines  now  supplying  coal  to  rail- 
roads will  continue  to  do  so.  In  1925,  more  than  six  million  tons, 
equal  to  more  than  27  per  cent  of  the  total  production  of  Franklin 
and  Williamson  counties,  was  disposed  of  in  this  way.''^  It  may 
be  recalled,  also,  that  this  is  the  district  possessing  the  low  sulphur 
coal  suitable  for  coke  making.  Some  of  the  mines,  at  least,  from 
which  the  Granite  City  coking  plant  is  supplied,  lie  within  the  five 
mile  limit  of  the  Big  Muddy,  and  it  is  quite  probable  that  they 
would  be  willing  to  continue  to  supply  this  company  even  after 
the  improvement  of  the  waterway.  As  the  present  capacity  of  the 
ovens  at  this  establishment  is  2,000  tons  of  coal  dally,  with  a  lay 
out  for  an  ultimate  consumption  of  four  times  as  much,®°  it  is 
clear  that  a  considerable  amount  of  coal  produced  in  the  area  trib- 
utary to  the  Big  Muddy  River  would  not  find  its  way  to  market 
over  the  Illinois  Waterway  regardless  of  a  freight  rate  slightly 
less  than  now  exists. 

Only  a  small  amount  of  coal  for  domestic  consumption,  also, 
would  be  likely  to  pass  over  the  Illinois  Waterway,  because  of 
the  scattered  distribution  of  consumers.  It  has  been  estimated 
that  one-sixth  of  the  world's  coal  is  used  for  heating  purposes,^'-  a 
proportion  probably  maintained  in  this  case,  due  to  the  severe 
winters  of  the  region  served  by  the  coal  field,  the  high  standard 
of  comfort  of  the  inhabitants,  and  the  increasing  favor  felt  for  the 
Franklin  County  coal  for  this  use.  The  State  is  well  supplied  with 
railroads,  which  reach  to  every  part  of  the  State  and  bring  fuel  to 
within  a  few  miles,  at  most  easy  trucking  distance,  of  each  house- 
holder. River  towns  without  rail  connection  must  be  supplied  by 
water,  but  there  are  none  such  in  the  upper  stretches  of  the  Illi- 

'"'Annual  Coal  Report  of  Department  of  Mines  and  Minerals,  Illinois,  1925, 
p.  65. 

^"H.  A.  Patterson,  op.  cit.,  p.  45. 

*'C.  K.  Leith,  The  Economic  Aspects  of  Geology,  1921,  p.  115. 


335]  THE   POTENTIAL  TRAFFIC  IO7 

nois.  It  is  doubtful,  even,  if  large  centers  like  Chicago  would  find 
it  profitable  to  use  the  waterway  for  transportation  of  domestic 
fuel.  The  great  necessity  of  reducing  street  haulage  has  given  rise 
to  a  great  number  of  coal  supply  yards  each  reached  by  a  spur 
railroad,  over  which  loaded  cars  can  be  switched.  The  waterway 
could  offer  no  such  advantage.  Every  ton  must  be  unloaded  from 
the  boat  and  hauled  by  rail  or  truck  to  some  coal  yard  for  further 
distribution.  A  consideration  of  the  cost  of  terminal  transfer 
(pages  42  and  43)  makes  apparent  the  improbability  of  water 
freight  rates  low  enough  to  offset  this  disadvantage.  Moreover, 
coal  for  heating  is  in  greatest  demand  at  just  the  time  when  the 
waterway  will  be  least  able  to  carry  traffic  because  of  ice.  Table 
VI  shows  the  response  to  seasonal  demand  in  coal  production, 
and,  consequently,  in  coal  traffic.  As  Illinois  coal  deteriorates  rap- 
idly in  storage  this  condition  is  likely  to  persist,  unless,  through 
some  invention,  m.ethods  are  devised  by  which  to  check  the  depre- 
ciation of  this  coal  after  mining.  About  one-half  million  tons,  also 
of  the  1925  production  in  these  two  counties,  was  used  locally  or 
wasted,  therefore  could  not  be  counted  as  available  for  water  trans- 
portation under  any  circumstances.^^ 

According  to  the  above  method  of  calculation,  the  railroads, 
domestic  fuel,  coke  making,  and  the  amount  disposed  of  locally  ac- 
count for  something  over  fifty  per  cent  of  the  total  production  of 
this  district.  In  an  estimate  of  coal  available,  therefore,  the  sum  of 
eight  or  nine  million  tons  would  represent  more  nearly  the  true 
amount  in  the  ten  mile  strip  in  1921. 

Even  this  is  not  the  whole  story,  for  none  of  It  will  be  likely 
to  move  by  water  unless  the  freight  rate  is  substantially  less.  Mr. 
M.  G.  Barnes  has  given  an  estimate  of  about  half  the  rail  rate  for 
the  possible  water  rate  from  the  southern  Illinois  mines  to  Chi- 
cago. This  figure  is  corroborated  by  C.  F.  Richardson  of  the  West 
Kentucky  Coal  Company,  providing  the  tows  are  of  great  size. 
This  company  must  carry  twenty  to  thirty  thousand  tons  In  a  tow 
to  reduce  the  cost  sufficiently  to  compete  with  rail  rates.  It  is  the 
opinion  of  Mr.  Richardson  that  tows  of  ten  thousand  tons  or  more 
would  be  required  in  order  to  offer  water  rates  lower  than  those 


"Annual  Cod  Report  of  Department  of  Mines  and  Minerals,  Illinois,  1925, 
pp.  57  and  65. 


I08  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [336 

by  rail,  while  In  tows  of  three  to  six  thousand  tons  the  water  rate 
would  probably  equal  or  exceed  that  by  rail.^'^ 

If  this  is  true  it  leaves  the  advantage  of  the  waterway  for 
coal  transportation  on  a  very  uncertain  footing,  as  the  locks  on  the 
Illinois  Waterway  will  permit  the  passage  of  fleets  of  barges  of 
only  7,500  to  9,000  tons  (page  33).  The  conclusion  of  the  writer 
is,  therefore,  that  it  is  doubtful  if  any  appreciable  quantity  of  coal 
would  move  along  the  waterway,  and  that  the  expenditure  of  sev- 
eral million  dollars  more  for  the  improvement  of  the  Big  Muddy 
would  be  an  inexcusable  waste. 

Mineral  Construction  Materials 
Sand  and  Gravel 

One  of  the  commodities  that  offers  greatest  promise  as  a  po- 
tential cargo  for  the  Illinois  Waterway  is  sand  and  gravel,  If  the 
experience  on  other  waterways  is  used  as  a  criterion.  On  practic- 
ally all  the  interior  rivers  the  quantity  of  these  materials  carried 
exceeds  that  of  almost  all  other  kinds  of  freight.  On  the  upper 
Mississippi  in  192 1,  sand  and  gravel  accounted  for  about  82  per 
cent  of  the  total  traffic,  and  sand  alone  constituted  almost  one-half 
the  river  traffic  of  that  year  at  St.  Louis.®*  Of  the  traffic  carried  on 
the  upper  Alleghany  River  in  1923,  sand  and  gravel  formed  96.3 
per  cent  of  the  total,  and  on  the  Monongahela  and  the  Ohio  only 
coal  exceeded  them  in  quantity.®^  On  the  Illinois  these  commodi- 
ties are  also  important,  being  nearly  half  the  tonnage  in  1921.®^ 
As  they  hold  a  similar  importance  on  the  canals,  for  example,  the 
Erie  and  the  Illinois-Mississippi,  it  indicates  that  they  represent  a 
type  of  freight  that  is  peculiarly  well  suited  to  water  transpor- 
tation. 

The  heavy,  bulky,  cheap  character  of  these  commodities  and 
the  fact  that  they  can  be  handled  more  cheaply  in  bulk  in  large 
quantities  than  in  any  other  way  makes  them  especially  well  suited 
to  barge  transportation.    It  also  necessitates  a  very  cheap  freight 

^^Communication  from  Mr.  Richardson. 

"'"Inland  Water  Transportation,  etc.,"  p.  42. 

^'Annual  Report  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  1924,  I,  1238,  1234,  1222. 

'"'Inland  Water  Transportation,  etc.,"  p.  44. 


337]  THE   POTENTIAL  TRAFFIC  lOQ 

rate,  or  a  very  convenient  and  accessible  source,  if  they  are  to  be 
marketed  at  all.  More  important  than  these  factors,  however,  in 
accounting  for  the  large  quantity  carried  by  water  is  the  fact  that 
one  of  the  best  and  most  accessible  sources  of  sand  and  gravel  is 
found  in  the  bars  deposited  by  the  stream  in  its  channel  at  the 
time  of  lowering  water.  These  deposits  have  the  advantage  of  cost- 
ing only  the  labor  of  dredging,  washing,  and  screening,  with  an 
inexhaustible  supply  of  water  free  for  use  in  the  process.  It  is  en- 
couraged, also,  by  the  fact  that  these  operations  tend  to  improve 
navigation  through  the  dredging  performed.  The  result  is  that 
large  quantities  of  sand  and  gravel  are  taken  from  the  stream 
channels  and,  of  necessity,  are  transported  to  market,  at  least  in 
part,  by  water.  St.  Louis,  Alton,  Quincy,  Rock  Island,  and  vicinity 
are  so  supplied,^''  which  accounts  for  the  importance  given  to  this 
class  of  freight  on  the  Mississippi.  In  general,  it  moves  short  dis- 
tances, a  few  miles  at  most.  It  must  be  remembered,  also,  in  a 
discussion  in  which  expenditure  for  waterway  improvement  is  in- 
volved, that  this  business  can  be  successfully  carried  on  without 
much  improvement. 

The  cheap  and  heavy  character  of  this  class  of  freight,  on  the 
other  hand,  precludes  the  possibility  of  utilizing  some  of  the  sup- 
plies of  excellent  quality  because  they  are  not  favored  with  ade- 
quate facilities  for  handling  or  transporting  it.  Trucking  for  any 
considerable  distance  and  for  any  but  very  small  quantities  for 
local  use  is  out  of  the  question.  Loading  and  unloading  needs  to 
be  done  in  the  cheapest  manner  possible.  The  result  is  that  con- 
suming centers  are  supplied  from  sources  that  can  be  obtained  at 
least  cost,  regardless  of  distance.  For  Illinois  as  a  whole  that 
means  that  sand  and  gravel  deposits  that  are  reached  by  railroads 
are  developed  and  drawn  on  to  the  exclusion  of  others  that  may 
be  nearer  and  of  as  high  a  quality,  but  are  lacking  in  equipment 
for  transfer  and  transportation. 

As  there  are  few  large  cities  on  the  lower  Illinois  there  Is  small 
demand  there  for  sand  and  gravel.  Moreover,  these  materials  oc- 
cur in  the  river  bluffs  and  terraces  in  or  near  Peoria,  East  Peoria, 
Pekin,  and  elsewhere  along  the  Illinois,  furnishing  local  supplies 

*'Jon  Udden  and  J.  E.  Todd,  "Structural  Materials  in  Illinois,"  Bui.  i6, 
Illinois  State  Geol.  Survey,  1909,  pp.  345,  383,  388. 


no  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [338 

which  would  involve  little,  if  any,  rail  or  water  movement.  Ex- 
tensive deposits  are  also  found  in  the  Hennepin-La  Salle  region, 
the  largest  being  that  of  the  Hennepin  terrace,  and  sand  and 
gravel  are  also  found  at  many  places  along  the  bluff  of  the  Illinois 
River,  as  between  Bureau  and  Depue.^®  Supplies  of  these  materials 
are  also  furnished  by  the  smaller  stream  channels,  as  well  as  by 
the  Illinois  River,  when  it  is  low.^^  As  the  deposits  lie  near  or  ad- 
jacent to  the  navigable  portion  of  the  Illinois  River,  the  cities  along 
the  river  would  depend  upon  them  for  their  supplies  if  presence 
of  a  navigable  waterway  were  the  only  factor  to  be  considered. 
That  this  is  not  the  case  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  sand  and 
gravel  for  construction  requiring  large  quantity  has  been  shipped 
into  La  Salle  by  rail,  leaving  the  local  pits  to  serve  the  smaller 
needs.^°  Probably  the  deposits  of  the  Illinois  River  would  be  more 
generally  developed  if  the  quality  was  entirely  satisfactory,  but  the 
sand  from  this  source  is  very  fine  and  contains  much  foreign  ma- 
terial, such  as  pieces  of  coal  and  fine  clay.^^  Shipping  costs  by  rail, 
also,  have  been  low  enough  to  permit  sand  and  gravel  to  be 
brought  from  Chicago  or  Buda  and  sold  on  a  par  with  the  local 
product.^- 

As  is  the  case  with  all  other  commodities,  Chicago  is  the  larg- 
est market  for  sand  and  gravel  in  Illinois,  the  amount  consumed 
annually  being  given  as  3,000,000  tons.^^  The  city  is  fortunate,  too, 
in  having  extensive  resources  within  easy  reach.  Along  the  Fox 
River,  both  north  and  south  of  Elgin,  along  the  Rock  River  near 
Janesville  and  Beloit,  Wisconsin,  and  along  the  Des  Plaines  and 
its  tributaries  at  and  below  Joliet  are  large  deposits,^*  most  of 
v/hich  are  well  supplied  with  railroad  facilities.  Though  some  of 
these  deposits  lie  at  a  considerable  distance  from  Chicago,  lack  of 


^^Gilbert  H.  Cady,  "Geology  and  Mineral  Resources  of  the  Hennepin  and 
La  Salle  Quadrangles,"  Bid.  37,  lUhiois  State  Geol.  Stirzey,  1919,  p.  116. 

''Ibid.,  p.  117. 

'^Udden  and  Todd,  op.  at.,  p.  375. 

^^Ibid. 

^^Ibid.,  p.  376. 

^'Communication  from  L.  D.  Cornish,  Assistant  Chief  Engineer,  State  Divi- 
sion of  Waterways,  Illinois. 

*^Ernest  F.  Burchard,  ''Concrete  Materials  Produced  in  the  Chicago  Dis- 
trict," Bill.  340,  U.  S.  Geol.  Siirvey,  1907,  pp.  398,  403,  404. 


339]  THE  POTENTIAL  TRAFFIC  III 

uniformity  in  railroad  rates  and  prohibitive  switching  charges,  in 
some  cases,  permit  pits  from  more  remote  situations  to  compete 
with  those  within  a  few  miles  of  the  city.^^  The  cost  of  team  haul- 
age or  trucking,  or  the  lack  of  equipment  for  producing  materials 
of  desired  sizes,  also  militate  against  the  utilization  of  certain  de- 
posits.^*^ 

The  gravel  pits  on  the  banks  of  the  Des  Plaines  River  will  be 
reached  by  the  Illinois  Waterway,  and  it  Is  estimated  that  half  the 
requirements  of  Chicago  may  be  obtained  from  them  and  moved 
to  market  by  water.  However,  the  very  low  rates  railroads  are 
able  to  offer  for  line  haulage,  the  Importance  of  handling  and 
transfer  costs,  and  the  large  factor  that  dependable  quality  in  pur- 
ity and  gradation  of  size  plays  are  likely  to  figure  prominently  in 
the  competition  between  rail  and  water.  Aloreover,  if  the  material 
Is  to  be  used  for  construction  work  at  some  distance  from  the 
waterway,  it  may  be  cheaper  to  use  rail  by  which  it  may  be  de- 
livered near  the  place  where  used.  In  a  distance  of  fifty  miles  or 
less  the  difference  in  freight  rate  between  rail  and  water  must  be 
considerable  to  represent  any  appreciable  economy  in  waterway 
utilization. 

Sand  for  other  purposes,  such  as  for  glass  and  moulding  is  fur- 
nished by  the  St.  Peter  Sandstone,  which  outcrops  in  the  river 
bluff  between  Ottawa  and  Utica.  Some  of  this  has  been  claimed 
for  the  waterway,  but  it  seems  doubtful  to  the  writer  if  much  is 
carried  in  this  way.  The  Rock  Island  Railroad  tracks  hug  the 
bluff  from  which  the  sandstone  is  quarried  practically  the  whole 
distance  between  Ottawa  and  Utica,  and  the  broken  rock  falls  al- 
most into  the  cars  standing  alongside.  On  the  other  hand,  the  river 
is  separated  from  it  by  from  one-fourth  of  a  mile  to  more  than  a 
mile  of  flood  plain,  which,  together  with  the  Illinois  and  Michigan 
Canal,  would  have  to  be  crossed  to  reach  the  waterway.  As  much 
of  the  product  is  carried  to  the  glass  factories  at  Ottawa  but  a 
few  miles  away,  it  is  not  probable  that  a  rate  enough  lower  than 
the  low  rate  offered  by  the  railroad  could  be  secured  on  the  wa- 
terway to  overcome  the  extra  expense  of  transfer  from  the  bluff 


'''"Materials  Available  for  Highway  Construction  in  Illinois,"'  Bid.  14,  Illi- 
nois State  Highway  Department,  1917,  p.  7. 
Vbid. 


112  THE  GEONOMIC   ASPECTS   OF   THE    ILLINOIS   WATERWAY         [34O 

quarries  to  the  river.  As  to  more  distant  consumers,  the  proba- 
bility of  any  considerable  number  being  located  directly  on  a 
waterway  is  so  small  that  they  need  receive  no  serious  considera- 
tion. It  is  clear  that  a  commodity  so  in  need  of  cheap  transpor- 
tation could  not  afford  expensive  haulage  or  transfer  at  destina- 
tion. 

Cement  Materials 

With  the  increase  in  the  use  of  steel  and  concrete  type  of  con- 
struction the  cement  industry  of  Illinois  has  assumed  a  steadily  in- 
creasing importance.  It  is  largely  centered  in  the  La  Salle  district, 
where  four  of  the  five  large  cement  plants  of  the  State  are  found. 
The  industry  began  at  Utica,  being  based  upon  supplies  of  natural 
cement  rock  outcropping  there.  The  plant  at  this  place  has  been 
in  constant  active  operation  since  1838,®'  and  produced  in  1918 
60,000  barrels  of  natural  cement.^^ 

In  the  meantime  the  possibility  of  standardization  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  Portland  cement  and  the  wider  availability  of  the  raw 
materials  for  its  manufacture  brought  this  product  to  the  fore,  and 
plants  subsequently  established  are  of  this  class.  The  Portland 
cement  industry  depends  on  supplies  of  the  La  Salle  limestone 
which  Is  found  outcropping  at  La  Salle  and  along  the  bluff  of  the 
Vermilion  River.  Three  plants  at  La  Salle  and  one  at  Oglesby 
have  a  capacity  of  more  than  10,000  barrels  daily.  The  five  state 
plants  produced  4,500,000  tons  in  1917,  which  failed  to  meet  re- 
quirements and  large  quantities  were  imported  from  neighboring 
states.^^  It  Is  possible  that  some  of  this  commodity  will  be  carried 
to  Chicago  by  the  waterway  when  it  is  completed,  providing  it  is 
to  be  used  nearby.  However,  demands  elsewhere  in  the  State  and 
nearer  sources  of  cement  materials  in  Michigan  and  Indiana  will 
tend  to  reduce  the  amount. 

Dimension  and  Crushed  Stone 

The  building  stone  industry  was  more  Important  before  con- 
crete came  into  so  much  favor  for  construction.    In  this  respect 

''Barrett,  op.  cit.,  p.  90. 

''J.  A.  Ede,  '"Mineral  Resources  of  the  La   Salle  District,"   Trans.  Amer. 
Inst.  Mm.  and  Met.  Eng.,  LXIIl   (1920),  251. 
^'Barrett,  op.  cit.,  p.  93. 


341  ]  THE   POTENTIAL  TRAFFIC  II3 

Chicago  was  particularly  fortunate  in  the  numerous  exposures  of 
the  Niagara  limestone,  which  affords  one  of  the  best  building 
stones  in  the  State.  It  furnishes  both  dimension  stone  and  crushed 
stone  in  large  quantity  and  of  high  quality.  In  the  vicinity  of  Le- 
mont  it  was  once  quarried  and  sold  as  dimension  stone  under  the 
name  of  "Athens  marble."  It  is  a  fine-grained  even-textured  lime- 
stone of  a  pleasing  light-drab  color,  weathering  to  buff  or  yellow 
on  exposure.  From  it  fine  cut  and  sawed  dimension  stone  and 
flagging  can  be  secured,  as  well  as  rubble  and  several  grades  of 
crushed  stone.  The  rock  is  exposed,  or  covered  with  so  thin  an 
overburden  that  it  is  available  for  quarrying  at  several  widely 
distributed  places  at  and  near  Chicago.  It  is  found  along  the  Des 
Plaines  valley  for  long  distances,  as  at  Lemont  (Fig.  3),  the  Sag, 
and  at  Joliet.  Outcrops  occur  also  at  Stony  Island,  near  Thorn- 
ton, near  Elmhurst,  and  elsewhere  in  the  Chicago  district. 

It  was  through  this  rock  that  the  Sanitary  Ship  Canal  was  cut, 
the  amount  excavated  being  estimated  at  12,912,000  cubic  yards.^"" 
It  is  said  that  the  amount  piled  along  the  canal  represented  enough 
material  of  this  kind  to  construct  concrete  docks  from  the  mouth 
of  the  Chicago  River  throughout  the  length  of  the  canal  and  Illi- 
nois waterways  to  St.  Louis.^^^  These  piles  of  broken  rock  are 
spoken  of  as  "spoil"  and  are  being  slowly  reduced  through  the 
operation  of  the  Great  Lakes  Dredge  and  Dock  Company  and  by 
the  Lincoln  Park  Commission  of  Chicago  (page  25).  The  stone 
is  transported  by  barge  on  the  canal  to  the  lake  front  at  Chicago 
where  it  is  used  for  filling  cribs  and  breakwaters.  In  1924,  301,781 
short  tons  from  spoil  banks  and  63,108  tons  from  quarries  were 
transported  on  the  Sanitary  Ship  Canal. ^*^-  It  is  significant  that, 
though  the  waterway  is  adequate,  the  amount  carried  that  way 
is  much  less  than  by  rail. 

Other  quarries  in  the  vicinity  include  that  of  the  Consumers 
Company  at  Lemont  with  an  annual  production  of  about  400,000 
tons,  and  the  one  at  Summit  with  a  daily  production  for  about 
300  days  each  year  of  1,100  to  1,200  cubic  yards  each.  The  pro- 
duct of  the  Lemont  quarry  is  switched  to  the  Chicago  and  Joliet 

^•"Burchard,  op.  at.,  p.  397. 

'^'^ Annual  Report  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  1924,  II,  1 142. 


114  "I'HE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [342 

Electric  Railroad  and  the  Chicago  and  Alton.  Shipments  from 
the  one  at  Summit  are  switched  to  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad,  or  made 
by  motor  truck.^"^  Therefore,  while  the  presence  of  this  valuable 
resource  in  the  environs  of  Chicago  is  of  the  utmost  significance  to 
Chicago,  it  is  not  at  all  probable  that  the  Illinois  Waterway  will 
affect  its  transportation  in  the  least.  If  there  were  any  advantage 
for  it  in  water  transportation  to  Chicago  the  waterway  would  be 
more  largely  used  now.  As  for  the  other  parts  of  the  State  which 
are  in  need  of  this  material,  they  are  not  so  situated  as  to  profit 
by  utilization  of  the  Illinois  Waterway  in  obtaining  it. 

Grain 

In  the  transportation  of  grain  railroads  have  the  advantage 
of  a  waterway  from  the  beginning.  A  relatively  small  amount  of 
grain  is  raised  within  easy  shipping  distance  of  a  waterway  with- 
out the  intervention  of  a  railway,  and  once  It  Is  In  the  railway  car 
It  Is  usually  easier  to  carry  It  to  destination  that  way.  In  the 
season  following  harvest,  grain  must  be  constantly  moved  from  the 
farm  to  prevent  damage  by  bad  weather,  and  railroads  must  be 
ready  to  move  a  large  amount  constantly  to  the  primary  market 
In  order  to  prevent  country  stations  from  becoming  blocked.  The 
bulk  of  the  wheat,  corn,  oats,  barley,  and  rye  marketed  in  carlots 
moves  from  country  shipping  stations  to  large  primary  markets, 
such  as  Chicago,  St.  Louis,  and  Minneapolis.^"*  The  states  sup- 
plying the  Chicago  and  Minneapolis  markets,  Iowa,  Illinois,  Min- 
nesota, and  the  Dakotas,  send  a  relatively  high  per  cent  to  termi- 
nal markets, ^"^^  therefore  there  is  a  heavy  through  movement  of 
grain  in  this  region. 

In  the  expeditious  movement  of  large  quantities  of  grain  ele- 
vators are  absolutely  indispensable.  They  may,  or  may  not,  be 
built  along  waterways,  but  railroads,  in  their  capacity  of  public 
carriers,  are  obliged  to  provide  elevator  facilities  at  bulk-break- 


'•"Frank  Krey  and  J.  E.  Lamar,  "Limestone  Resources  of  Illinois,"  Bid.  4.6, 
Illinois  State  Geol.  Survey,  1925,  p.  no. 

^°*Report  of  the  Federal  Trade  Commission,  Tke  Grain  Trade,  II   (1920), 

37- 

'''Ibid.,\  (1920).  135- 


343]  THE  POTENTIAL  TRAFFIC  II5 

ing  polnts.^"'^  As  the  possession  of  elevators  enabled  them  to  se- 
cure tonnage  in  competition  with  other  lines  and  to  release  equip- 
ment for  transporting  more  grain,  they  have  invested  immense 
sums  of  money  in  construction  and  appliances  for  storing  and 
handling  grain.  An  example  is  the  new  two  million  bushel  con- 
crete elevator  constructed  by  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad  Com- 
pany at  St.  Louis  and  opened  to  use  during  1923.^°''  Unlike  most 
of  them,  this  elevator  is  situated  and  equipped  so  as  to  handle 
waterborne  grain.  Thirty-five  per  cent  of  the  terminal  elevator 
capacity  of  the  country  today  Is  owned  by  rallroads.^"^ 

Because  grain  keeps  well,  Is  always  marketable,  is  easily 
handled  In  bulk,  and  can  stand  a  relatively  high  transportation 
rate,  competition  for  grain  traffic  has  been  keen.  To  secure  this 
trade  for  their  lines  railroads  have  rendered  free  service  in  trans- 
ferring, cleaning,  switching,  and  loadlng.^"^  The  practice  of  offer- 
ing "transit  privileges"  was  Inaugurated  for  the  same  purpose. 
According  to  this  arrangement  a  shipment  of  grain  is  permitted 
to  stop  for  a  time  at  a  transit  point  to  undergo  some  commercial 
process,  such  as  grading,  milling,  cleaning,  drying,  etc.  In  general, 
there  is  no  extra  charge  for  unloading  and  loading,  and  the  rate  al- 
lowed is  the  through  rate,  rather  than  the  combination  of  the  local 
rates.^^°  A  large  proportion  of  grain  exports  are  shipped  under 
transit  privileges.  These  advantages  belong  almost  entirely  to  rail 
transportation,  as  routes  connected  with  water  lines  do  not,  as  a 
rule,  grant  any  transit  arrangement,  or,  if  they  do,  a  small  charge 
Is  ordinarily  imposed.^^^  This  advantage  possessed  by  the  rail- 
roads Is  said  to  be  largely  responsible  for  the  practical  disappear- 
ance of  grain  from  the  Mississippi  River  a  decade  or  more  ago. 
The  high  local  rate  from  the  grain  fields  to  St.  Louis,  with  a  sep- 
arate charge  for  elevating,  transfer,  insurance,  etc.,  more  than  off- 


^^ Report  of  the  Federal  Trade  Commission,  The  Grain  Trade,  III  (1921), 
82. 

^"^Report  of  St.  Louis  Merchants'  Exchange,  1923,  p.  13. 

^'^Report  of  the  Federal  Trade  Commission,  The  Grain  Trade,  III  (1921), 
123. 

^"^Ibid.,  p.  104. 

""Roland  M.  Kramer,  "Transportation  in  Relation  to  the  Export  Trade  on 
Agricultural  Products,"  Bui.  216,  Trade  Information,  1924,  p.  19. 

""'Ibid. 


Il6  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [344 

setting  the  advantage  of  a  slightly  lower  transportation  rate  on 
the  rlver.^^- 

However,  the  grain  trade  is  so  sensitive  to  slight  differences 
in  transportation  costs  that,  when  other  conditions  are  advan- 
tageous, the  waterway  is  able  to  regain  a  portion  of  the  trade. 
This  is  true  on  the  Mississippi  today,  where  the  Federal  Barge 
Line  is  carrying  grain  to  New  Orleans  for  export.  Although  a  dif- 
ferential of  three  cents  per  bushel  has  prevailed,  wheat  was  car- 
ried for  four  cents  below  the  rate  charged  by  rail  during  March 
and  April,  1924.^^^  A  decrease  in  ocean  rates,  together  with  an  in- 
crease in  export  rail  rates,  accounts  for  the  diversion  of  a  large 
quantity  of  grain  to  Gulf  ports  in  1920  and  192 1.  The  following 
tables  reflect  the  lack  of  stability  in  water  movement  of  wheat. 

TABLE  VIII.— EXPORTS  OF  WHEAT  FROM  NEW  ORLEANS"* 

Year  Bushels  Year  Bushels 

1910 213,654  1918 10,480,092 

1911 602,417  1 91 9 12,678,000 

1912 7,948,103  1920 49,590,000 

1913 14,357,000  1921 55,904,000 

1914 31 ,492,000  1922 27,420,000 

1915 30,030,000  1923 II  ,365,000 

1916 22,910,000  1924 21 ,286,062 

1917 16,947,000  


Table  IX  shows  the  substantial  gain  made  during  the  last 
few  years  in  the  water  movement  of  wheat  from  St.  Louis,  a 
traffic  which  is  likely  to  increase  as  long  as  ocean  and  rail  rates 
are  favorable  to  it.  However,  Chicago  lies  in  an  entirely  different 
situation  as  related  to  the  Illinois  Waterway  than  does  St.  Louis 
to  the  Mississippi.  Grain  moving  to  Chicago  is  grown,  for  the 
most  part,  north  of  the  latitude  of  central  Iowa.  Of  the  country 
grain  received  at  Chicago  for  the  crop  years  1912-13  to  1916-17 
51.98  per  cent  was  furnished  by  Illinois,  31.43  per  cent  by  Iowa, 


'^^ Report  of  National  Waterways  Commission,  1912,  p.  548. 

""'Providing  for  the  Improvement  and  Completion  of  Prescribed  Sections  of 
the  Mississippi,  Missouri  and  Ohio  Rivers,"  Hearings  on  House  Report  3921,  68 
Cong.,  1  sess.,  32  {1924). 

"*Anniial  Report  of  New  Orleans  Board  of  Trade,  1924,  p.  62. 


345]  THE  POTENTIAL  TRAFFIC  II7 

TABLE  IX.— SHIPMENTS  OF  WHEAT  FROM  ST.  LOUIS^s 

Bushels 
Year  By  rail  By  river 

191C 15,149,789  200 

191 1 12,162,495 

1912 21,195,775  450 

1913 25,148,065 

1 9 14 25,626,870 

1915 28, 179,270 

1916 31,435,720 

1917 25,060,400 

191 8 20,481 ,010  584,490 

1919 30,584,470  1,165,450 

192c 25,219,550  984,600 

1921 31,950,700  4,295,840 

1922 31,522,780  723, 450" 

IQ23 24, "517, 800  4,332.235 

'Low  water  in  the  Mississippi  River  in  September. 

5.79  per  cent  by  Minnesota,  and  3.3  by  South  Dakota.^^^  This  was 
added  to  by  shipments  from  other  primary  markets,  especially 
wheat  from  MinneapoHs.  the  bulk  of  which  was  grown  still  farther 
to  the  north  and  west.  For  this  grain  to  utilize  the  Illinois  Water- 
way, therefore,  it  must  either  pass  through  the  Hennepin  Canal, 
or  make  the  detour  south  on  the  Mississippi  and  back  up  the  Illi- 
nois. With  the  advantages  of  rail  transportation  for  grain  enum- 
erated above,  and  the  slow  and  inadequate  facilities  offered  by  the 
Hennepin  Canal  given  in  a  previous  chapter  in  mind,  it  seems 
wholly  improbable  that  any  of  the  grain  from  the  northwest 
should  select  this  route.  Neither  is  it  probable  that  grain  ship- 
pers would  choose  the  river  route  with  its  extra  handling  and  some 
five  hundred  miles  of  extra  distance  in  preference  to  all  rail  direct 
with  transit  privileges.  Moreover,  grain  moving  to  Chicago  is  go- 
ing more  and  more  to  the  Calumet  district,  w^here  the  larger, 
newer,  and  more  adequately  equipped  elevators  have  been  erected 
(Fig.  12).^^*^^  As  this  region  is  not  reached  from  the  waterway,  it 
is  not  reasonable  to  suppose  that  grain  having  that  destination  will 
move  east  by  water. 

"^Reports  of  St.  Louis  Merchants'  Exchange,  1910-1923. 

^''Report  Federal  Trade  Commission,  The  Grain  Trade,  I  (1920),  132. 

"*"0n  the  Chicago  River  are  ten  elevators  with  13.700,000  bushels  capacity. 
On  the  Calumet,  thirteen,  with  a  capacity  of  20,300,000  bushels.  ''Water  Term- 
inals and  Transfer  Facilities,"  House  Document  652,  66  Cong.,  2  sess.,  1712, 
1729,  (1921). 


ii8 


THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY 


[346 


Neither  would  the  greater  part  of  the  grain  producing  area 
of  the  State  find  it  advantageous  to  use  water  transportation.  Since 
the  bulk  of  the  grain  moving  into  Chicago  is  ultimately  reshipped 
east,  there  is  practically  no  "local"  billing  to  Chicago  from  country 
points  in  Illinois.  Rates  applied  on  shipments  from  the  Illinois 
producing  territory  to  Chicago  are  made  on  through  billing  to 
eastern  points  with  transit  and  reshipping  privileges  at  the  inter- 
mediate market.^^"  These  privileges  are  not  usually  offered  to 
shipments  by  water. 

Of  the  grain  grown  along  the  waterway,  it  is  probable  that  a 
certain  amount  will  be  offered  for  transportation  wherever  ade- 
quate elevator  facilities  exist.  In  1924  the  counties  bordering  the 
waterway  produced  69,400,000  bushels  of  corn,  10,287,000  bushels 
of  wheat,  and  37,158,000  bushels  of  oats.  Using  the  ten  year  aver- 
age of  35  per  cent  for  corn,  61  per  cent  for  wheat,  and  48  per  cent 


Fig.  12.     Lake  Shipments  of  Wheat  from  Chicago 

From    Chicago    River 

From  Calumet  River 

(From  reports  of  Chicago  Board  of  Trade) 

''Report  Federal  Trade  Commission,  The  Grain  Trade,  II  (1920),  44. 


347]  THE  POTENTIAL  TRAFFIC  II9 

for  oats  as  the  amount  shipped  out  of  the  county  where  grown  the 
amount  of  marketable  grain  of  these  counties  is  obtained.^^*  This 
would  be  24,290,000  bushels  of  corn,  6,275,300  bushels  of  wheat, 
and  17,835,900  bushels  of  oats.  A  good  portion  of  this,  however, 
is  produced  too  close  to  Chicago  to  realize  any  appreciable  profit 
from  the  use  of  the  waterway,  even  if  the  rate  is  low.  Elevator 
facilities  along  the  whole  route  are  also  very  meager.  In  1913  in 
the  navigable  portion  of  the  river  below  Peru  only  eight  land- 
ings were  provided  with  elevators,  only  one  of  which  had  rail  con- 
nections.^^^  Moreover,  the  capacity  of  existing  elevators  is  very 
inadequate.  The  available  public  storage  capacity  of  the  three 
houses  at  Peoria  is  said  to  be  so  small  "as  to  make  it  difficult  to 
transfer  grain  for  shipping  purposes."^^^**  ^^°  At  Pekin  there  are  two 
private  elevators  with  a  capacity  of  370,000  bushels, ^-^  and  those 
at  the  other  landings  are  much  smaller.  It  is  quite  certain  that  addi- 
tional elevators  must  be  constructed  along  the  waterway  before 
any  considerable  amount  of  grain  is  carried  over  it.  Unless  muni- 
cipal or  other  governmental  authorities  appropriate  the  money  for 
this  purpose,  it  is  very  doubtful  if  it  is  done.  No  company  could 
carry  grain  at  a  rate  sufficiently  below  that  now  offered  by  the 
railroads  with  their  well  established  equipment  in  operation  to  se- 
cure from  them  a  large  enough  portion  of  the  trade  they  now  en- 
joy and,  at  the  same  time  make  a  sufficient  profit  to  pay  for  the 
investment  of  a  large  sum  in  elevator  facilities.  It  Is  the  opinion 
of  the  writer,  therefore,  that,  while  grain  will  be  carried  in  small 
quantities  on  the  waterway,  as  it  is  today  on  the  Illinois  River, 
the  amount  thus  transported  will  be  a  negligible  item. 

Livestock 

While  livestock  formed  one  of  the  earliest  items  cf  long-dis- 
tance traffic  on  the  railroads,  and  it  still  demands  an  important 
share  of  its  services,  it  is  not  considered  an  especially  lucrative 

"*''Crops  and  Markets,"  Monthly  Supplement,  U.  S.  Department  of  Agri- 
culture, II,  Supplement  No.  3,  March,  1925,  pp.  78-79. 

^"House  Document  652,  p.  1733. 

"'"The  elevator  capacity  at  Peoria  is  giv^en  by  the  Federal  Trade  Commis- 
sion, III,  p.  288,  as  2,130,000  bushels. 

^"Report  Federal  Trade  Commission,  The  Grain  Trade,  II  (1920),  177. 

"^'Ibid.,  Ill  (1921),  288. 


120  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [348 

type  of  traffic.  In  1920  the  transportation  of  livestock  on  the  Chi- 
cago, Rock  Island  and  Pacific  Railroad  required  nearly  eleven 
per  cent  of  the  cars  used  to  transport  carload  freight,  but  con- 
tributed only  6.14  per  cent  of  the  total  revenue  of  such  freight.^^^ 
The  gross  ton-mile  earnings  on  the  Chicago  and  Northwestern  was 
only  five  mills,  as  compared  with  6.7  mills  for  grain  over  a  similar 
distance,^-^  while  the  car-mile  earnings  represented  little  more  than 
half  that  of  grain,  and  only  about  seventy  per  cent  of  that  of  all 
carload  freight.^^* 

The  reason  for  this  lies  in  the  nature  of  the  traffic.  If  the  dis- 
tance is  long,  yards  must  be  provided  where  the  animals  may  be 
fed,  watered,  and  rested.  Stockyards  on  the  Chicago,  Burlington 
and  Quincy  Railroad  are  reported  to  have  cost  ^2,000,000.^^^  If 
two  carloads  or  more  are  shipped  under  one  caretaker,  free  trans- 
portation is  provided  both  ways  and  full  liability,  as  with  general 
passengers,  is  assumed.  A  type  of  car  must  be  used  that  is  not 
adaptable  to  many  kinds  of  freight  so  that  there  is  a  large  move- 
ment of  empty  equipment,  and  car  loadings  can  not  be  Increased 
as  has  been  possible  with  other  kinds  of  traffic.  Loss  and  damage 
claims  are  also  heavy,  the  per  cent  of  claims  to  revenue  on  the  Chi- 
cago, Burlington  and  Quincy  Railroad  In  1920  being  more  than 
two  and  one-half  times  as  much  as  for  all  carload  freight.  Speed 
Is  required,  in  order  to  reduce  shrinkage  In  transit,  possibility  of 
loss  of  market,  and  extra  feed  charges.  Stock  train  schedules  are 
faster  than  the  usual  movement  of  ordinary  freight,^-''  and  delivery 
is  made  immediately  on  arrival,  if  possible. 

Because  of  these  exactions  there  Is  very  little  movement  of 
stock  by  water.  A  small  number  of  animals  are  carried  to  St. 
Louis  each  year  by  the  Eagle  Packet  Company  operating  on  the 
Illinois.  Cargoes  of  from  1,000  to  1,200  cattle  are  sometimes  ob- 
tained from  the  towns  not  served  by  railroad  along  the  lower  Illi- 
nois below  Beardstown,  That  this  traffic  Is  relatively  unimportant, 
however,  can  be  seen  from  Table  X, 

"^Docket  No.  12,  146,  before  the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission,  1921, 
p.  27. 

'''Ibid.,  p.  26. 

^"Jbid.,  pp.  20  and  21. 

"'Ibid.,  p.  31. 

^'Report  of  the  Joint  Commission  of  Agricultural  Inquiry,  III  (1921),  III. 


By  River 

From 

Illinois 

River 

8,176 

62,475 
5,085 

1,356 

21,474 

1,253 

1,039 

60 

349]  THE   POTENTIAL  TRAFFIC  121 

TABLE  X.— RECEIPTS  AND  SHIPMENTS  OF  LIVESTOCK 

AT  ST.  LOUIS,  1923127 


By  Rail 

Receipts 

Cattle 1,439,502 

Hogs 5,254,417 

Sheep 554,771 

Shipments 

Cattle 651,508 

Hogs 2,110,684 

Sheep 126,928 


The  fact  that  Hvestock  does  not  lend  itself  to  barge  transpor- 
tation miHtates  against  its  carriage  by  water,  this  being  one  class 
of  traffic  not  accepted  by  the  Federal  Barge  Line.  The  need  for 
speedy  movement  and  prompt  delivery  also  makes  the  transporta- 
tion of  livestock  by  water  in  any  considerable  number  undesirable. 
It  Is  clear,  therefore,  that  livestock  cannot  be  counted  on  to  fur- 
nish any  appreciable  amount  of  traffic  for  the  Illinois  Waterway. 

Lumber 

The  thorough  depletion  of  the  forests  in  the  more  densely 
populated  sections  of  the  country  and  the  steadily  retreating  center 
of  lumber  production  has  presented  a  serious  transportation  prob- 
lem. It  is  not  that  the  railroads  are  unable  to  handle  the  traffic, 
but  the  increasing  length  of  haul  with  its  attendant  increase  of 
transportation  costs  is  reflected  in  the  price  of  lumber  to  such  an 
extent  as  to  be  almost  prohibitive. 

Prior  to  the  Civil  War  the  common  long  lumber  hauls  in  the 
United  States  were  from  200  to  400  miles.  The  beginning  of  the 
long  haul  came  with  the  exhaustion  of  the  eastern  forests  and  the 
development  of  the  white  pine  lumber  Industry  in  the  Lake  States. 
By  way  of  the  lakes,  Erie  Canal,  and  Hudson  River  lumber  trav- 
eled from  Saginaw,  Michigan,  to  New  York,  a  distance  of  1,000 
miles,  and  500  miles  to  many  points  In  the  Middle  West.  After 
1890  the  reduced  supply  from  the  Lake  States  and  the  develop- 
ment of  rail  transportation  permitted  the  entrance  of  southern 
pine  Into  the  eastern  and  middle  western  markets,  and  rail  ship- 
ments of  lumber  exceeding  1,000  miles  became  common.   With  the 

^Report  of  St.  Louis  Merchants'  Exchange,  1923,  pp.  182  and  187. 


122  THE   GEONOMIC  ASPECTS   OF   THE   ILLINOIS   WATERWAY         [35O 

developing  industry  on  the  northwest  coast  rail  hauls  for  lumber 
have  increased  to  2,000  miles,  or  more,  to  interior  points,  while  the 
water  route  has  been  lengthened  to  7,000  miles  via  Panama  Canal 
from  Puget  Sound  ports  to  New  York.^^® 

With  the  lengthening  haul  lumber  freight  costs  have  been 
mounting  higher  and  higher.  In  normal  times  about  14  per  cent  of 
all  railroad  revenue  comes  from  lumber.^-^  In  1920  the  lumber 
freight  bill  on  American  railways  was  $230,000,000  and  water 
freights  were  $20,000,000,  more  than  90  per  cent  of  the  bill  being 
for  transportation  alone.""  In  1923  the  country's  lumber  freight 
costs  were  $300,000,000."^  Average  transportation  costs  jumped 
from  $3.25  per  M  board  feet  in  1905  to  $11.75  "i  IQIQ?  and  the 
pre-war  rail  rates  of  $12  from  Puget  Sound  points  to  the  Middle 
West  have  become  $17.50.  The  price  of  lumber  to  the  consumer 
has  increased  even  more,  for  retail  dealers  figure  profit  on  the  total 
cost,  including  freight.  Douglas  fir  flooring  paid  a  freight  of 
$12.50  to  Minneapolis  in  August,  1922,  and  the  retail  price  ex- 
ceeded the  retail  price  at  Portland,  Seattle,  and  Bellingham  by 
$28.^^-  Lumber  which  brings  from  $22  to  $30  in  parts  of  the  South 
costs  $50,  or  more,  in  the  consuming  regions  of  the  East  and 
the  Middle  West,  transportation  costs,  large  investments  in  stocks, 
profits,  and  reduced  competitive  facilities  involved  in  its  transpor- 
tation explaining  the  difference  in  price.  It  is  evident,  therefore, 
that  one  of  the  economic  problems  before  the  country  today  is  how 
to  reduce  transportation  costs  on  lumber. 

Of  the  immense  freight  charge  for  lumber  transportation  in 
1920  Illinois  paid  more  than  $28,000,000."^  Moreover,  this  charge 
is  bound  to  grow,  for  the  tendency  is  to  draw  increasingly  from  the 
more  distant  forests  of  the  northwest.  Of  the  98,756  cars  of  lumber 
received  in  1913,  66  per  cent  were  from  the  southern,  21  per  cent 

"'Earle  H.  Clapp,  "The  Long  Haul  from  the  Woods,"  American  Forestry, 
XXIX  (1923),  260-261. 

"'Hu  Maxwell,  "The  Sawing  and  Transportation  of  Lumber,"  American 
Forestry,  XXIV  (1918),  336. 

"""Forest  Service,  Timber:  Mine  or  Crop?",  Yearbook,  U.  S.  Department  of 
Agriculture,  1922,  p.  115. 

'""Lumber  and  its  Utilization,"  Lumber  and  Timber  Information,  National 
Lumber  Manufacturers  Association,  I,  chap,  ii,  (1924),  7. 

"*Clapp,  op.  cit.,  p.  263. 

"'"Forest  Service,  Timber:  Mine  or  Crop?",  p.  116. 


351  ]  THE  POTENTIAL  TRAFFIC  I23 

from  the  northern,  and  13  per  cent  from  the  western  forests.^^* 
In  1923,  25  per  cent  of  the  lumber  received  came  from  Washing- 
ton, Oregon,  and  CaHfornia.^^^  In  that  year  Illinois  received 
2.669,764  iM  board  feet  from  thirty-two  states,  Louisiana,  Mississ- 
ippi, and  Washington  being  the  leading  contributors.  It  received 
1 5  per  cent  of  the  southern  pine  distribution,  8  per  cent  of  the 
western  pine,  5.7  per  cent  of  the  domestic  shipments  from  the 
Douglas  fir  region,  and  19.5  per  cent  of  the  output  of  the  North- 
ern Pine  Association  mills.^^^  Chicago  consumption  accounted  for 
about  1,600,000  M  board  feet  in  1924.^" 

With  the  rapid  depletion  of  the  southern  forests  and  the  pros- 
pect of  their  being  unable  to  meet  more  than  local  requirements  at 
the  end  of  thirty  years, ^®*  Illinois,  like  other  lumber  consuming  re- 
gions, is  seeking  a  remedy  for  the  difficulty.  Two  methods  have 
been  suggested.  Systematic  practice  of  scientific  forestry  in  the 
once  forested  lake  states  has  the  disadvantage  of  requiring  a  long 
period  of  time.  The  other  suggested  solution  of  the  problem  in- 
volves the  transportation  of  lumber  from  the  northwest  by  water, 
in  this  way  making  use  of  the  Illinois  Waterway. 

That  water  transportation  for  lumber  may  be  cheaper  than 
that  by  rail  is  shown  by  the  rates  between  Pacific  and  Atlantic 
Coast  points.  The  coastwise  rate  via  Panama  Canal  from  ports  on 
the  northwest  coast  to  New  York  is  from  $10  to  $15  per  M  board 
feet,  whereas  a  rail  rate  of  90  cents  per  100  pounds  amounts  to 
from  ^24  to  $30  per  M  board  feet,  depending  on  the  size,  grade, 
and  method  of  dressing.^^^  The  response  to  these  low  water  rates 
is  shown  by  the  following  table.  In  191 5,  after  the  canal  was 
opened  the  Atlantic  Coast  received  85,897,000  feet,  or  six  per  cent 
of  the  total  shipments  from  the  northwest  that  year.   In  1923  such 


"William  B.  Greeley,  ""Some  Public  and  Economic  Aspects  of  the  Lumber 
Industr>%"  Report  No.  114,  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  1917.  Map  opposite 
p.  52. 

"^''The  Principal  Lumber  Industries,"  Bureau  of  the  Census,  1923,  p.  53. 

"'"Where  the  Lumber  is  Shipped,"  National  Lumber  Bulletin,  Series  II, 
No.  2,  April,  1925,  p.  I. 

"'■■Receipts  less  Shipments,"  Chicago  Board  of  Trade,  1924,  p.  105. 

"^K.  J.  Braden,  "The  Cost  of  Transportation  as  a  Tax  on  the  Lumber  Con- 
sumer of  the  Lake  States,"  Jour,  of  Forestry,  XV  (1917),  6c6. 

"'Nelson  Courtlandt  Brown,  The  American  Lumber  Industry,  1923,  p.  148. 


124  THE  GEONOMIC   ASPECTS   OF   THE    ILLINOIS   WATERWAY         [352 

TABLE  XL— LUMBER  SHIPMENTS  FROM  PACIFIC  TO  ATLANTIC 
COAST  POINTS""  VIA  PANAMA  CANAL 

Year                                              Tons  Year                                         Tons 

1 921 448,087  1924 2,127,952 

1922 1,121,705  1925 2,681,133 

1923 1,656,774 


shipments  were  925,000,000  feet,  which  represented  nearly  22  per 
cent  of  the  total  water  shipments,  and  the  succeeding  years  show 
a  continuation  of  this  increase.  Lesser  demand  for  lumber  and 
smaller  economy  by  water  transportation  for  shorter  distances, 
however,  give  to  the  Gulf  ports  only  a  small  per  cent  of  this  trade. 
For  the  four  weeks  ending  Dec.  26,  1925,  Gulf  ports  received  via 
the  northwest  and  Panama  Canal  only  3.4  per  cent  of  the  total 
movement  east,  while  New  York  City  alone  received  22.4  per  cent 
of  such  shipments.^*^ 

Prior  to  1880  water  transportation  played  a  very  large  part  in 
the  movement  of  lumber,  but  since  that  time  the  decline  has  been 
rapid.  As  the  forests  accessible  to  waterways  were  exhausted,  rail- 
roads were  extended  into  the  forest  regions,  and,  eventually,  they 
secured  the  major  part  of  the  traffic.  This  change  from  water  to 
rail  is,  no  doubt,  an  important  factor  in  the  increased  cost  of  trans- 
portation. The  floating  of  logs  down  stream  with  spring  floods,  the 
cheapest  method  of  transportation  known,  ceased  with  the  removal 
of  the  trees  from  the  river  banks,  and  the  rafting  of  lumber  on  the 
Mississippi  has  been  abandoned  because  of  the  closing  of  practic- 
ally all  the  large  mills  formerly  located  along  it.^^-  At  Chicago 
where  water-transported  lumber  represented  81  per  cent  of  that 
received  in  1875,^'*^  only  seven  per  cent  came  by  water  in  1914, 
and  no  water  shipments  were  made  from  there.  The  interior  river 
trade  is  practically  negligible.  Barges  with  a  capacity  of  600,000 
to  700,000  board  feet  have  been  used  occasionally,  especially  dur- 
ing periods  of  acute  railroad  car  shortage,  but  no  transportation 


""■"Lumber  Transportation  Records  in  1925,"  The  National  Lumber  Bulletin, 
March  7,  1926,  p.  3. 

"^■'Waterborne  Lumber  Movement  of  Pacific  Coast,"  National  Lumber  Bul- 
letin, March  i,  1926,  p.  6. 

^"Ralph  Clement  Bryant,  Lumber,  1922,  p.  378. 

'"Greeley,  op.  cit.,  p.  44. 


353]  THE  POTENTIAL  TRAFFIC  125 

company  has  established  a  permanent  service  of  this  character.^** 
Fully  95  per  cent  of  the  lumber  consumed  annually  in  the  Central 
States  is  transported  wholly  by  rail.^^^  The  relative  importance  of 
the  rail  and  water  trade  is  shown  by  the  figures  for  St.  Louis, 
where  in  1923  the  receipts  of  lumber  by  rail  amounted  to  $3,899,- 
197,500  board  feet,  while  that  by  river  was  2,739,000  board  feet. 
Shipments  were  2,797,459,500  and  1,303,000,  respectively.^**^ 

These  figures  raise  the  question,  "If  water  transportation  is 
cheaper  than  by  rail,  why  is  not  the  river  trade  in  lumber  at  St. 
Louis  larger?"  St.  Louis  is  on  a  navigable  waterway  cutting  the 
southern  forest  region.  Lumber  lends  itself  to  water,  as  well  as  to 
rail  transportation,  as  it  requires  neither  speed,  concentrated  seas- 
onal movement,  special  equipment  for  handling  or  transporting, 
nor  special  care  during  transit.  The  answer  is  that  water  transpor- 
tation is  cheaper  only  under  certain  conditions.  The  mills  are  no 
longer  along  the  navigable  streams.  They  have  followed  the  in- 
dustry to  interior  points,  where  railroads  must  be  depended  on  for 
transportation.  Lumber  to  be  marketed  must  be  loaded  on  a 
railroad  car,  and  water  transportation  would  involve  expensive 
trans-shipment.  The  railroad  car  is  able,  as  a  rule,  to  deliver  the 
shipment  much  nearer  the  place  where  it  is  to  be  used.  Lumber 
transportation  by  river  to  St.  Louis  would  mean  upstream  move- 
ment, which  is  more  expensive  than  movement  in  the  opposite  di- 
rection. Rail  lines  are  more  direct,  therefore  shorter,  than  river 
distances  between  the  same  points.  Railroads  offer  certain  privi- 
leges, also,  such  as  "milling  in  transit"  and  reconsignment,  which 
water  lines  would  find  it  difficult  to  do.  It  has  become  the  custom 
in  recent  years  to  sort  lumber  at  the  sawmill  and  fill  the  orders 
directly,  rather  than  to  send  the  whole  quantity  to  large  centers 
for  redistribution.  The  result  of  all  these  changes  is  to  shift  the  ad- 
vantage from  water  carriage  more  and  more  to  the  railroad  until, 
for  the  greater  part  of  the  lumber  carried,  rail  is  cheaper  for  the 
service  performed  than  water  could  be. 

The  advantage  from  the  standpoint  of  cost  of  rail  transporta- 
tion for  lumber  over  that  by  water  is  sometimes  surprising.  This  is 

'"Bryant,  op.  cit.,  p.  376. 

"^Ovid  M.  Butler,  "The  Distribution  of  Softwood  Lumber  in  the  Middle 
West,"  Report  No.  115,  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  1917,  p.  42. 
""Report  of  St.  Louis  Merchants'  Exchange,  1923,  p.  40. 


126  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE  ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [354 

the  case  with  lumber  from  the  northwest  coast  to  Chicago  at  the 
present  time.  According  to  the  recent  decision  of  the  Interstate 
Commerce  Commission  the  rate  by  rail  to  Chicago  on  Group  D 
commodities,  which  include  fir,  spruce,  hemlock,  birch,  and  pine 
lumber  in  single  carloads,  from  north  Pacific  and  California  coast 
points  is  to  be  68  cents  per  lOO  pounds,  to  take  effect  May  17, 
1926.""  Counting  1,800  pounds  to  the  thousand  feet,^*'*  this  would 
give  a  freight  charge  of  $12.24  P^r  M  board  feet.  Not  all  Atlantic- 
Pacific  lumber  carriers  stop  at  Gulf  points.  One  of  the  few  that 
does  is  the  Luckenbach  Steamship  Company,  whose  quoted  rate 
on  lumber  from  Seattle  to  New  Orleans,  April,  1926,  was  $15  per 
M  board  feet,  plus  fifty  cents  a  ton  wharfage  at  Seattle.^**  The  rail 
rate  from  New  Orleans  to  Chicago  is  43  cents  per  100  pounds,  or 
$7,74  per  M  board  feet.^*^  Eighty  per  cent  of  this  rate  by  the 
Barge  Line  would  be  $6.19.  Therefore  lumber  brought  by  water 
via  Panama  Canal,  the  Mississippi  River,  and  the  Illinois  Water- 
way would  involve,  at  present  rates,  a  freight  charge  of  $9.40  per 
M  board  feet  in  excess  of  the  all  rail  rate.  It  is  to  be  noted  in  this 
connection,  also,  that  no  appreciable  reduction,  if  any,  is  made  to 
New  Orleans  under  that  to  New  York,  though  the  distance  is 
much  less.  Apparently  this  is  one  case  where  rail  competition 
holds  down  the  water  rate.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  no  lumber 
will  move  by  the  all  water  route  from  the  northwest  coast  to  Chi- 
cago unless  there  is  a  decided  shift  in  rail  or  water  rates. 

Imports 


A  study  of  the  commodities  carried  on  the  Mississippi  River 
by  the  Federal  Barge  Line  shows  not  the  commonly  expected 
cheap  and  heavy  bulk  commodities  usually  delegated  to  water- 
ways, but  a  great  variety  of  miscellaneous  freight.  Important  on 
the  list  are  the  imports,  especially  sugar,  which  amounted  to  138,- 


'^*'The  National  Lumber  Bulletin,  March  7,  1926,  p.  3.  (Reduction  from  72 
to  68  cents). 

"'"Brown,  op.  cit.,  p.- 150. 

"^Communication  from  traffic  representative  of  that  line. 

"Tariff  schedules  in  possession  of  Mr.  S.  L.  Foote,  Secretary,  Madison 
Chamber  of  Commerce. 


355]  THE  POTENTIAL  TRAFFIC  12/ 

873  tons  in  the  fiscal  year  1923.^^°  Other  important  items  were 
coffee,  with  15,612  tons,  sisal,  with  9,120  tons,  and  burlap,  with 
11,573  tons.  These  four  articles  constituted  65  per  cent  of  the  ton- 
nage of  northbound  freight  carried  by  this  line  in  1923.^^^  Of  this 
freight  a  substantial  proportion  was  destined  for  Chicago,  and 
would  probably  be  carried  over  the  Illinois  Waterway,  if  facilities 
permitted.  In  the  8-day  period  from  ^larch  10  to  March  18, 
1925,  16,546  tons  of  sugar  were  moved  by  the  Barge  Line,  an 
amount  equal  to  622  loaded  railroad  freight  cars.  Illinois  took  128 
cars  of  this  nineteen  of  which  went  to  Chicago  and  twenty  to  Pe- 
oria.^^-  At  the  per  capita  consumption  for  the  United  States  the 
five  million  people  tributary  to  Chicago  would  require  210,000  tons 
of  sugar,  30,000  tons  of  coffee,  and  40,000  tons  of  rice  annually .^^^ 
Sisal  bound  for  Chicago  is  imported  through  Xew  Orleans  to  the 
amount  of  more  than  250,000  tons  each  year. 

Some  indication  of  the  actual  northbound  movement  of  these 
com.modities  is  given  by  the  recent  appeal  by  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  for  authorization  to  construct  a  line  180  miles  long  paral- 
leling the  existing  one  between  Edgewood,  Illinois,  and  Fulton, 
Kentucky.  The  reason  given  was  to  relieve  traffic  congestion,  the 
chief  business  of  the  line  (which  is  double  tracked)  being  shipping 
of  grain  south  and  hauling  sugar,  coffee,  rice,  sisal,  etc.  on  the  re- 
turn.^^*  This  class  of  freight  is  especially  well  adapted  to  barge 
transportation,  as  the  experience  of  the  Federal  Barge  Line  will 
testify.  Moreover,  at  the  20  per  cent  differential  by  water  under 
the  all  rail  rate,  there  is  a  considerable  saving,  that  on  coffee  and 
sugar  representing  10  cents  per  100  pounds,  according  to  tariff 
schedules  in  recent  use.  It  is  reasonable  to  predict,  therefore,  that 
a  considerable  portion  of  this  traffic  will  move  to  Chicago  by  the 
all  water  route,  providing  as  favorable  shipping  conditions  as  are 
now  furnished  by  the  Barge  Line  are  maintained. 

'^"'Annual  Report   of  Ch'uj   of  Inland  and  Coastwise  Waterways  Service, 

1923,  P-  54- 

"VmJ.,  pp.  54-56  (Table). 

''^'"Shippers  Save  on  Sugar  Moved  by  Water,"  Mississippi  Valley  Mag., 
March-April,  1925,  p.  16. 

'^'M.  G.  Barnes,  Inland  Waterways  and  Transportation  Costs,  1920,  p.  26. 

'""Improvement  of  the  Illinois  and  Mississippi  Rivers  and  Diversion  of 
Water  from  Lake  Michigan,"  Hearings  before  the  Committee  on  Rivers  and  Har- 
bors, House  cf  Representatives,  68  Cong.,  i  sess.,  113,   (1924). 


128        the  geonomic  aspects  of  the  illinois  waterway      [356 

Manufactured  Articles 

Standing  next  to  grain  in  the  list  of  articles  comprising  the 
southbound  traffic  of  the  Barge  Line  are  manufactured  articles.  The 
most  important  group  is  that  made  of  iron  and  steel,  which  in- 
cludes steel  billets,  rails,  bar  iron,  iron  pipe,  fabricated  steel,  struc- 
tural iron,  nails,  bolts,  wire  and  wire  fencing,  barbed  wire,  and  a 
host  of  other  items  of  this  character.  Plumbers'  supplies,  agricul- 
tural implements,  prepared  roofing,  and  galvanized  materials  are 
also  important.^^^  Most  of  these  articles  may  be  recognized  as 
representative  of  the  industries  located  in  or  near  Chicago,  and,  if 
the  industrial  concerns  choose  to  do  so,  can  be  shipped  conven- 
iently on  the  com.pleted  waterway.  Already  farm  implements  are 
shipped  from  Chicago  for  export  to  South  America  to  the  extent 
of  1,500  to  2,000  cars  annually.^^*'  This  district  also  undoubtedly 
furnished  an  appreciable  part  of  the  14,234  tons  of  export  freight 
carried  by  the  Mississippi-Warrior  Service  in  1921.^^'' 

However,  not  all  industrial  plants  located  on  the  waterway 
will  find  it  practicable  to  ship  their  products  that  way.  The  region 
adjacent  to  the  lower  Mississippi  is  one  of  relatively  sparse  popu- 
lation, quite  unlike  the  German  Rhine  with  which  it  is  so  often 
compared.  The  population  per  square  mile  in  Germany  Is  about 
330,  whereas  little  of  the  territory  tributary  to  the  Illinois-Mississ- 
ippi waterway  exceeds  40  per  square  mile.  Moreover,  along  the 
Rhine  are  many  large  industrial  centers,  while  throughout  the  en- 
tire stretch  of  1,600  miles  of  river  and  canal  from  Chicago  to  New 
Orleans  there  are  only  two  cities  of  over  100,000.  Manufacturers 
of  domestic  supplies,  therefore,  may  find  small  use  for  the  water- 
way. This  is  especially  true  of  certain  types  of  Industry,  for  In- 
stance, clay  products,  whose  output  Is  distributed  to  widely  scat- 
tered Interior  points.  Exports  destined  for  European  markets  are 
not  likely  to  move  by  way  of  the  Gulf,  either.  The  most  likely  ex- 
port movement  south  is  of  those  commodities  finding  an  outlet  in 
Latin  American   countries,   of  which   manufactures   of   Iron   and 

^^'Annual  Report  of  Chief  of  Inland  and  Coastwise  Waterways  Semice,  1923, 
pp.  54-56   (Table). 

^'''^ Fifth  Annual  Report  of  Illinois  Division  of  Waterways,  1922,  p.  79. 

^''■'The  Port  of  New  Orleans,"  Port  Series  No.  5,  War  Department,  1924, 
p.  214. 


357]  THE  POTENTIAL  TRAFFIC  129 

Steel,  plumbers'  supplies,  agricultural  implements,  hardware,  and 
packing-house  products  offer  greatest  promise.  The  Latin  Amer- 
ican market  for  these  exports  is  limited,  however,  by  competition 
with  other  manufacturing  regions  both  in  the  United  States  and 
in  foreign  countries,  by  a  sparse  population,  and  by  a  relatively 
low  purchasing  power  among  the  people.  High  expectations  of  un- 
limited outlet  for  manufactured  products  in  this  direction,  there- 
fore, are  likely  to  be  disappointed. 

It  is  probable,  also,  that  a  portion  of  the  traffic  originating  in 
Chicago  or  St.  Louis  and  destined  for  the  other  city  may  be 
counted  as  potential  waterway  cargo.  It  is  said  that  the  railroads 
carry  approximately  2,500,000  tons  between  the  two  cities  annu- 
ally."^ Representatives  of  certain  industries,  particularly  of  iron 
and  steel,  have  expressed  their  desire  to  use  water  transportation 
to  bring  supplies  from  the  north  to  their  industrial  plants  in  St. 
Louis.  According  to  reports,  some  60,00c  tons  of  this  type  of 
freight  are  awaiting  transportation  over  the  waterway .^^^ 


^'"^Fifth  Annual  Report  of  Illinois  Division  of  Waterways,  1922,  p.  79. 
"'^"Improvement  of  the  Illinois  and  Mississippi  Rivers  and  Diversion   of 
Water  from  Lake  Michigan." 


CHAPTER  VII 
TRANSPORTATION  COMPANIES 

One  of  the  most  perplexing  questions  concerning  transporta- 
tion on  the  Mississippi  River  system  today  is,  "Who  will  carry  the 
cargo?"  Only  a  small  part  of  the  splendid  fleet  of  a  few  decades 
ago  remains,  one  line  after  another  having  gone  out  of  business 
because  it  did  not  pay.  As  the  operation  of  those  remaining  has 
not  been  especially  prosperous,  little  new  capital  has  been  tempted 
to  invest  In  it,  and  more  than  one  case  can  be  cited  of  short-lived 
companies  that  have  attempted  to  revive  water  traffic,  but  have 
failed.  Yet  the  clamor  for  cheaper  transportation  is  constant.  Ap- 
parently private  concerns  whose  boats  care  only  for  the  needs  of 
their  own  business  have  been  more  successful,  and  a  number  of 
these  may  be  counted  among  the  river  cargo  carriers.  On  the 
whole,  therefore,  the  prospect  for  public  carriers  on  the  Missis- 
sippi system  has  been  most  discouraging. 

However,  a  new  impetus  seems  to  have  been  given  to  river 
transportation  through  the  establishment,  in  191 8,  of  the  Missis- 
sippi-Warrior Service  by  the  Federal  Government.  Though  it  was 
the  outgrowth  of  war  needs,  it  has  been  continued  as  an  experi- 
ment to  ascertain  the  degree  of  feasibility  of  water  transportation 
and  the  conditions  under  which  it  can  be  most  successfully  car- 
ried on. 

The  Federal  Barge  Line 

The  Federal  Barge  Line  of  the  Mississippi-Warrior  Service 
was  put  into  operation  on  the  lower  Mississippi,  September  28, 
1918.^  It  was  at  first  under  the  supervision  of  the  Committee  on 
Inland  Waterways  under  the  Railroad  Administration;  later  it 
became  a  charge  of  the  Inland  and  Coastwise  Waterways  Service 
when  that  was  created  by  the  Transportation  Act  of  1920,-  As  the 
Service  is  to  be  conducted  on  a  strictly  business  basis,  the  need 
was  felt  of  a  more  business-like  administrative  organization,  and 
in  June,  1924,  the  Inland  Waterways  Corporation,  with  a  capital 

^Annual  Report  of  Chief  of  Inland  and  Coastwise  Waterways  Service,  1923, 
p.  22. 

''Ibid.,  p.  3. 


359]  TRANSPORTATION    COMPANIES  I3I 

of  ^§5,000,000  was  created.^  The  business  of  this  organization  is 
to  foster  both  rail  and  water  transportation,  but  especial  attention 
is  given  to  the  operations  of  the  Government  owned  inland  water- 
ways service  with  the  idea  of  disposing  of  the  system,  or  any  part 
of  it,  to  private  parties  as  soon  as  its  feasibility  has  been  demon- 
strated. In  this  way  the  Government  hopes  to  re-establish  com- 
merce carriers  on  every  navigable  stream  where  it  is  at  all 
practical.* 

At  first  quite  inadequate  for  the  service  required,  the  fleet  of 
the  Mississippi-Warrior  Service  has  been  increased  and  improved 
until  by  December,  1924,  fifteen  towboats,  four  self-propelled 
barges,  and  iii  cargo  barges,  besides  numerous  miscellaneous 
harbor  boats,  oil  tankers,  etc.,  were  in  use.^  In  a  sense,  the  fleet 
is  still  inadequate,  as  it  is  insufficient,  at  times,  to  handle  all  the 
grain  that  is  offered  to  it,®  and  no  provision  is  made  for  the  carry- 
ing of  oil  on  the  Mississippi,  a  considerable  quantity  of  which  is 
available  for  transportation."  According  to  reports,  a  recent  acqui- 
sition is  two  open-top  1,000-ton  barges  suitable  for  carrying  bulk 
cargo,  mainly  sulphur  to  East  St.  Louis.^  Service  is  conducted  on 
the  Mississippi  between  St.  Louis  and  New  Orleans,  with  stops  at 
Cairo,  Memphis,  and  Mcksburg,  and  on  the  Black  Warrior  be- 
tween Birmingport  and  Cordova,  JMobile,  and  New  Orleans.  A 
recent  ruling  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  however,  makes  possible 
the  extension  of  this  service  on  the  upper  Alississippi,^  and  ar- 
rangements are  reported  to  have  been  made  to  operate  between 
St.  Louis  and  the  Twin  Cities  as  soon  as  the  necessary  equipment 
can  be  furnished,  probably  about  April,  1927.^" 

Every  effort  has  been  made  by  those  in  charge  of  the  Federal 
Barge  Line  to  have  the  service  efficient  and  satisfactory.   In  estab- 

'T.  Q.  Ashbum,  '"Governmental  Pioneering  on  Inland  Water  Transporta- 
tion," Cong.  Dig.,  Ill  (1924),  369. 

*T.  Q.  Ashburn,  '"Mississippi-Warrior  Service  Forms  Test  of  Waterway  Pol- 
icy," Christian  Science  Monitor,  Dec.  2,  1924. 

'Ibid. 

"Report  of  St.  Louis  Merchants'  Exchange,  1921,  p.  19. 

''Report  of  the  Secretary  of  War  to  the  President,  1922,  p.  322. 

^Mississippi  Valley  Magazine,  March-April,  1925. 

"Ibid.,  Jan.-Feb.,  1926,  p.  7. 

^"Communication  from  Theodore  Brent,  Traffic  Manager,  Mississippi-War- 
rior Service. 


132  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY        [360 

lishing  the  rates  it  was  felt  that  they  should  be  somewhat  lower 
than  applied  by  corresponding  rail  routes,  in  order  to  attract  traffic, 
and  80  per  cent  of  that  rate  was  decided  upon  as  the  water  tariff. 
It  was  evident  from  the  beginning,  also,  that  the  service  of  this 
line  must  be  equal  to  that  tendered  by  the  railroads  in  order  to 
compete  with  them.  As  land  carriers  assume  liability  for  the  safe 
keeping  of  property  intrusted  to  them  for  transportation,  water 
carriers  must  also  accept  full  responsibility  for  the  safety  of  goods 
in  transit.  Therefore  both  fire  and  marine  insurance  were  included 
in  the  Barge  Line  tariffs.^^  Railroads  also  render  certain  terminal 
services,  and  the  water  line  must  do  likewise.  Reliability  and  de- 
pendability were  necessary.  This  was  secured  by  a  scheme  of 
scheduled  sailings,  approximating  five  days,  from  each  terminal, 
the  use  of  wireless  aiding  in  the  direction  of  the  tows.^-  Detour 
arrangements,  which  permit  diversion  of  traffic  between  East  St. 
Louis  and  Cairo  when  ice  or  drouth  interfere  with  operation  by 
water  between  these  points,  were  made  between  the  Barge  Line 
and  the  railroads, ^^  so  dependable  schedules  could  be  maintained. 
More  important  than  all  this  was  the  securing  of  joint  rates 
with  the  railroads.  Extension  of  the  service  to  interior  points  was 
absolutely  necessary  for  the  success  of  the  project,  as  not  sufficient 
tonnage  could  be  obtained  on  the  banks  of  the  stream  to  make 
exclusive  water  haulage  profitable.  Since  January,  1919,  when 
joint  rates  were  first  secured,  the  area  under  its  influence  has  been 
gradually  extended  to  include  the  territory  south  to  the  Mexican 
border  at  Brownsville,  Texas,  and  north  through  St.  Louis  to 
Minneapolis,  Sioux  City,  Grand  Rapids,  Cincinnati,  and  other 
more  distant  points.^*  Interchange  relations  have  been  secured 
with  approximately  165  railroads  in  the  United  States.  Through 
bills  of  lading  are  issued,  also,  to  Pacific  Coast  points  through  the 
Barge  Line  to  New  Orleans  and  by  the  Pacific-Caribbean-Gulf 
Line  through  Panama  Canal. ^^   Three  self-propelled  barges  carry 

'^'^Annual  Report  of  Chief  of  Inland  and  Coastunse  Waterways  Service,  1920, 

P-  73- 

""Mississippi-Warrior   Service,"   Supplement  No.  2  to  Freight    Tariff  No. 

Q-B,  Dec,  1922. 

"Mississippi-Ifarrior  Serzice,  Dec,  1921.  (Folder) 

^* Annual  Report  of  Chief  of  Inland  and  Coastwise  Waterways  Service,  1923, 
p.  42. 

"Mississippi-Warrior  Service,  Nov.,  1923.   (Folder) 


361]  TRANSPORTATION    COMPANIES  133 

on  an  express  business  for  shipments  requiring  more  rapid  move- 
ment. These  boats  give  a  five  day  service  from  St.  Louis  to  New 
Orleans,  and  a  ten  day  service  on  the  return.^*'  Truck  delivery 
service  is  also  employed  to  Insure  more  prompt  delivery.^' 

The  influence  of  the  Inauguration  of  joint  rates  was  noticeable 
in  the  character  of  the  traffic,  high  grade  merchandise  gradually 
taking  the  place  of  the  bulk  grain  south,  a  change  that  was  especi- 
ally desirable  to  the  Barge  Line,  as  grain  paid  only  about  ^2.40 
per  ton  as  against  the  higher  rate  of  $4  to  $S  on  merchandise.  It  also 
resulted  in  a  larger  movement  north,  the  barges  now  being  loaded 
to  capacity  with  sugar,  coffee,  rice,  molasses,  sisal,  etc.^^  Only  two 
bulk  commodities  are  carried,  grain  south  and  bauxite  ore  north. 
In  1923  the  former  accounted  for  64  per  cent  of  all  southbound 
freight  on  the  Mississippi.  Even  so,  it  represents  a  relatively  small 
part  of  the  total  rail  and  river  movement  of  export  grain  to  New 
Orleans.  In  the  three  year  period,  1919-1921,  inclusive,  5,395,033 
tons  of  grain  were  exported  from  New  Orleans,^^  of  which  192.224 
tons,  or  little  more  than  three  and  one-half  per  cent,  were  carried 
by  the  Barge  Llne.-°  The  remainder  of  the  cargo  southbound  in- 
cludes a  great  variety  of  articles,  manufactures  of  iron  and  steel 
from  the  Pittsburgh  region,  agricultural  Implements  from  Chicago, 
soap  from  Ohio,  condensed  milk  from  Wisconsin,  etc.  It  is  note- 
worthy that  a  considerable  tonnage  has  been  contributed  weekly 
by  the  industries  in  the  Chicago  district,  and  from  manufacturing 
centers  elsewhere  in  Illinois  and  in  Wisconsin.^^  Northbound 
traffic  amounts  to  about  45  per  cent  of  the  total,  the  chief  item 
being  sugar,  which  accounted  for  nearly  52  per  cent  of  all  north- 
bound freight  in  1923.    It  has  experienced  a  more  noticeable  in- 


"Verbal  statement  by  operator  of  Barge  Line,  Cairo. 

''C.  A.  McCombs,  '"The  Present  Status  of  Navigation  on  the  Lower  Mis- 
sissipi  River/'  Jour.  Geog.,  XXIV  (1925),  13. 

^*Theodore  Brent,  "Inland  Water  Transportation,"  Joiir.  W.  Soc.  Eng., 
XXIV  (1919),  363. 

""The  Port  of  New  Orleans,"  Port  Series,  Xo.  5,  War  Department,  1924, 
pp.  195  and  196. 

""■■Report  of  Joint  Commission  of  Agricultural  Inquiry,  Part  III,  Transpor- 
tation," Report  40S,  Ft.  3,  House  of  Representatives,  67  Cong.,  i  sess.,  385 
(1922). 

'^Annual  Report  of  Chief  of  Inland  and  CoasPivise  Waterways  Senice, 
1923.  p.  42. 


134 


THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY 


[362 


crease  and  a  steadier  flow  than  the  southbound  traffic,  the  differ- 
ence being  due  to  the  larger  population  in  the  northern  area. 
Imports  entering  New  Orleans  reach  via  the  Barge  Line  a  broad 
distributing  territory  from  the  Alleghany  to  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
Commodities  moving  south  reach  via  the  Barge  Line  only  two 
important  distributing  centers,  Memphis  and  New  Orleans."-  The 
following  table  gives  the  leading  articles  for  the  fiscal  year  1923 
(Table  XII).  These  articles  have,  for  the  most  part,  relatively 
high  value,  therefore  they  can  stand  a  comparatively  high  trans- 
portation rate.  They  are  also  non-breakable,  non-perishable,  and 
relatively  easy  to  handle.  Much  of  it  requires  no  special  handling 
appliance,  for  example,  sugar,  coffee,  soap,  etc.,  which  can  be  trans- 
ferred on  two-wheeled  hand  trucks.  It  is,  therefore,  as  desirable 
a  type  of  freight  as  a  waterway  can  reasonably  expect  to  handle. 
Table  XIII  shows  the  volume  of  traffic  handled  each  year  since  the 
beginning  of  operation.  While  the  figures  do  not  show  a  great 
actual  increase  each  year  over  the  preceding,  the  gain  is  steady 
and  the  per  cent  increase  is  satisfactory. 


TABLE  XII.— LEADING  ARTICLES  CARRIED  BY  THE  MISSISSIPPI- 
WARRIOR  SERVICERS  ON  THE  MISSISSIPPI  FOR  THE 
FISCAL  YEAR  1923 


Commodities 


Short  tons 


South- 
bound 

Sugar 

Corn 102,669 

Wheat 81,311 

Rye.; 27,554 

Bauxite  ore 

Cottonseed 

hulls 12,559 

Nitrate  of 

soda 

Coffee 

Burlap 

Oyster  shells 

Sisal 

Canned  goods. ..  .      7,544 
Prepared 

roofing 5,0^5 

Tobacco 4,875 


North- 
bound 

138,873 


27,517 


16,045 

15,612 

11,573 

9,334 

9,120 


Commodities 


Short  tons 


South- 
bound 
Fabricated 

steel 4,483 

Bags 246 

Iron  pipe 3,898 

Soap  and  soap 

powders 3,893 

Ammonia 3,7ii 

Bagging 989 

Merchandise 3,292 

Bar  iron 3,042 

Cement 2,914 

Structural 

.iron 2,435 

Tin  plate 2,217 

Molasses  and 


sirup. 
Potash. 


1,223 


North- 
bound 


4,246 


3,350 
881 


2,250 
2,082 


p.  42. 


'Annual  Report  of  Chief  of  Inland  and  Coastwise  Waterways  Service,  1923, 
■''Ibid.,  pp.  54-56.    (Table) 


363]  TRANSPORTATION    COMPANIES  135 

On  the  Other  hand,  the  financial  statement  is  rather  discour- 
aging, as  the  figures  in  Table  XIV  show,  no  year  giving  a  surplus 
of  revenue  over  expenses  until  1925,  the  seventh  year  of  opera- 
tion. However,  these  figures  should  not  be  interpreted  as  a  criti- 
cism of  the  operation  of  the  line,  as,  at  the  20  per  cent  differential 
below  the  rail  rate  the  revenue  received  leaves  so  small  a  margin 
of  profit  that  to  make  it  pay  enormous  quantities  must  be  car- 
ried.-* Therefore,  if  there  is  any  interruption  to  service,  or  any 


TABLE  XIII.— TONNAGE  HANDLED  ON  THE  MISSISSIPPI  BY  THE 
FEDERAL  BARGE  LINE^^ 

Year                                         Short  tons  Year                                       Short  tons 

1918 23,359  1922 599,699 

1919 104,769  1923 710,431 

1920 160,701  1924 849,503 

1921 443,267  1925 910,755 


adverse  circumstance,  a  deficit  is  likely  to  be  created.  Moreover, 
the  numerous  incidental  services  performed  by  the  Barge  Line  as 
essential  to  the  securing  of  trafl[ic  neutralize  the  effect  of  the  econ- 
omy of  water  transportation.  About  25  per  cent  of  the  gross  rev- 


TABLE  XIV.— OPERATING  REVENUE  AND  EXPENSES  OF  THE 
FEDERAL  BARGE  LINE  BY  YEARS^^ 

Total  Total 

Year                                               Operating  Operating  Net 

Revenue  Expenses^  Income 

1919" $  444,658.72     ^1,139,420.45  ^-694,761.73 

1920 702,219.35  1,252,238.20  -550,018.85 

1921 1,791,324.47  1,920,206.30  -128,881.83 

1922 2,249,483.16  2,723,031.44  -473,549.00 

1923 2,420,190.00  2,461,279.00  —41,089.00 

1924 3,097,348.33  3,223,408.30  -126,059.97 

1925 3,546,989.56  3,278,134.28  268,855.28 

"Contains  figures  from  September,  1918. 
••Includes  depreciation.     — Signifies  a  loss. 


'*Ibid.,  p.  23. 

"Figures  from  communication  from  Theodore  Brent,  April,  1926. 

^Figures  for  1919-1922  from  Annual  Report  of  Chief  of  Inland  and  Coast' 
wise  Waterways  Service,  1923,  p.  62:  for  1923,  from  Hearings  before  the  Com- 
mittee on  Interstate  and  Foreign  Commerce,  68  Cong.,  I  sess.,  162  (1924);  for 
1924  and  1925  from  letter  from  War  Department. 


136  THE   GEONOMIC  ASPECTS   OF   THE    ILLINOIS   WATERWAY         [364 

enues  of  the  Barge  Line  still  go  to  pay  the  cost  of  the  terminal 
rail  services,  and  transferring  of  freight  from  car  to  barge  and 
barge  to  car  adds  about  $1.50  a  ton  more.'^  Theodore  Brent, 
Traffic  Manager  of  the  Mississippi-Warrior  Service,  is  quoted  as 
saying,  ''However,  with  the  exception  of  bulk  grain,  the  Barge 
Line  must  agree  to  pay  the  cost  of  bringing  the  freight  in  a  car  to 
the  river  bank,  unload  the  contents  into  its  barges,  transport  the 
contents  to  another  port  of  interchange,  secure  a  railroad  car  in 
which  to  deliver  a  lading,  load  the  car,  pay  the  railroad  for  the 
use  of  the  car  and  the  delivery  of  the  freight  and  insure  the  arrival 
of  the  lading  in  as  good  condition  as  if  it  had  moved  through  by 
rail — all  this  at  a  substantial  difference  under  the  cost  of  rail 
service."^^ 

It  appears,  therefore,  that  en  as  favorable  a  stream  as  the 
Mississippi,  the  odds  against  the  waterway  are  sufficient  to  make 
the  task  of  competing  successfully  with  the  railroads  a  difficult 
one.  The  Waterway  Service  realizes,  also,  that  the  outcome  of  the 
experiment  is  most  significant.  If  all  the  experience,  knowledge, 
and  capital  available  to  the  Mississippi-Warrior  Service  can  not 
make  the  venture  an  undisputed  success,  appropriations  for  the 
improvement  of  rivers  for  navigation  might  just  as  well  cease.^^* 
The  Mississippi  possesses  the  essential  requirements  of  a  success- 
ful waterway  to  an  unusual  degree,  (i)  The  river  is  ample  in 
width  and  depth  (except  in  short  stretches  at  rare  intervals); 
(2)  the  water  haul  is  long,  (about  1,150  miles  from  St.  Louis  to 
New  Orleans);  (3)  adequate  and  suitable  terminals  have  been 
provided  at  the  freight  transfer  points  by  the  expenditure  of  large 
sums  of  money;  (4)  the  fleet  represents  the  best  and  most  efficient 
floating  equipment  that  six  years  of  operating  experience  has  been 
able  to  devise  and  collect;  (5)  the  traffic  has  reached  an  almost 
perfect  balance;"^*"  (6)  a  large  part  of  the  tonnage  is  desirable  high 
class   freight   which   can   stand   a    relatively   high   transportation 

^'Edward  Hungerford,  ''Down  the  Mississippi,"  The  Country  Gentleman, 
LXXXIX  (June  21,  1924)  24. 

"^Ibid. 

^"Gen.  Ashburn  claims  that  the  Service  would  have  ^22,500  additional 
monthly  earnings  if  the  excess  war  costs  could  be  written  off,  as  was  done  by 
the  Shipping  Board  tonnage. 

^"It  is  said  that  no  barge  is  moved  empty.  Southbound  barges  are  loaded 
to  capacity;  northbound,  as  heavy  as  is  practical  against  the  current. 


365]  TRANSPORTATION    COMPANIES  I37 

charge;  and  (7)  as  satisfactory  arrangements  for  joint  rates  with 
the  railroads  as  can  be  expected  have  been  obtained.  However, 
unless  the  economy  of  water  transportation  more  than  offsets  the 
cost  of  transfer  of  traffic  from  land  to  water,  and  vice  versa,  there 
is  no  saving  in  the  use  of  the  waterway.  Development  of  water- 
ways should  not  be  for  the  sole  purpose  of  reducing  rail  rates.  If 
rates  are  excessive  recourse  may  be  had  to  the  Interstate  Com- 
merce Commission,  while  to  reduce  rail  rates  from  river  points 
only  to  have  them  increased  from  interior  points  in  order  to  re- 
coup the  railroads  is  unfair.  Only  when  "sufficient  tonnage  of 
heavy  commodities  exist,  or  can  be  developed  to  justify  the  estab- 
lishment of  new  transportation  facilities"  should  inland  waterways 
be  developed.-^  That  this  time  has  not  come  along  the  Mississippi, 
from  the  standpoint  of  volume  is  patent,  and  the  increase  in  popu- 
lation in  the  territory  adjacent  to  the  river,  according  to  the  figures 
of  the  Thirteenth  and  Fourteenth  Censuses,  does  not  indicate  that 
that  time  is  rapidly  approaching.  According  to  Secretary  Herbert 
Hoover,  larger  populations  and  more  diversified  industry  in  reach 
of  interior  waterways  form  a  prime  factor  in  successful  water 
transportation. '^^  It  is  possible  that  several  decades  hence  the  In- 
crease of  population  In  central  United  States  will  insure  to  a  ven- 
ture such  as  the  Mississippi-Warrior  Service  a  much  greater  degree 
of  success.  The  present  difficulties  of  water  transportation,  how- 
ever, are  inherent  in  the  geographic  and  economic  conditions  ex- 
isting in  this  territory,  and  not  until  they  change  to  an  appreciable 
degree  can  the  unqualified  success  of  water  transportation  in  this 
region  be  assured. 

Other  Transportation  Companies 

The  Federal  Barge  Line  is  the  most  Important  cargo  carrier 
on  the  Mississippi  River  System  today,  and  the  only  one  giving 
regular  and  continuous  service  to  the  public  for  any  considerable 
distance.  The  remainder  of  the  business  is  done  by  a  number  of 
companies  which  offer  a  variety  of  services.    Not  more  than  a 


^■■Report  of  the  Joint  Commission  of  Agricultural  Inquiry,  Part  III,  p.  386. 
'"Herbert  Hoover,   "The  Need  of   Inland  Waterways   for  Agriculture  and 
Industry,"  Commerce  Reports,  Nov.  2,  1925,  p.  255. 


138  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS   OF   THE    ILLINOIS   WATERWAY         [366 

score  or  two  of  the  old  style  stern-wheel  vessels  are  now  in  use, 
and  no  through  service  from  St.  Louis  to  Memphis,  VIcksburg,  or 
New  Orleans  is  offered  by  them.  However,  several  boats  make 
daily  trips  between  the  landings  both  north  and  south  of  Mem- 
phis, and  a  number  of  the  smaller  boats  find  it  profitable  and  con- 
venient to  deliver  their  water  shipments  by  truck  to  a  distance  of 
twenty  miles.^^  On  the  Ohio  River  packet  boat  service  is  most 
important  between  Pittsburgh  and  Cincinnati,  several  short  lines 
being  operated  out  from  each  of  these  cities.  Packet  boats  carry- 
ing passengers  and  local  freight  operate  also  from  St.  Louis  to 
Tennessee  River  points,  to  Peoria  on  the  Illinois,  and  up  the  Mis- 
sissippi to  Quincy  and  intermediate  points.  During  the  summer  sea- 
son the  excursion  business  is  very  large,  and  many  of  the  fine  large 
packets  belonging  to  the  upper  Mississippi  have  been  remodeled 
for  this  purpose.^^  As  this  type  of  service  is  much  more  profitable 
than  transportation  of  general  cargo,  it  is,  in  many  cases,  the  chief 
source  of  revenue. 

In  1922  the  River  Transit  Company  of  St.  Paul  was  incorpo- 
rated for  the  purpose  of  the  transportation  of  package  freight  on 
the  Mississippi  between  that  city  and  St.  Louis.  In  addition  to  its 
individual  shipper  patronage,  this  company  transports  freight  from 
St.  Louis  to  upper  Mississippi  River  cities  on  through  bills  of 
lading  and  joint  rates  with  the  Mississippi-Warrior  Service.^^  The 
increase  in  navigation  on  the  upper  Mississippi  within  the  last  year 
or  so  is  no  doubt  a  response  to  the  influence  of  the  Government- 
owned  line,  as  is  probably  the  case  on  the  Missouri,  where,  on 
two  widely  separated  sections  of  the  river,  water  service  has  been 
recently  inaugurated.^*  Aside  from  the  public  carriers  which  trans- 
port any  freight  brought  to  them  are  contract  carriers,  that  is, 
those  companies  which  observe  no  regular  schedule,  but  run  only 
when  having  a  full  load.  For  example,  the  Barrett  Line  out  of 
Cario  operates  a  towboat  and  barge  line  to  carry,  on  contract, 
such  things  as  lumber,  logs,  and  powder  from  the  works  at  Nash- 
ville to  New  Orleans.^^ 

^McCombs,  op.  at. 

^^ Annual  Report  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  II,  (1924),  1478. 
'^Mississippi  Valley  Association  Folder. 

'^"Missouri  River  Trade  Revival  Now  Forecast,"  Christian  Science  Mon- 
itor, Dec.  2,  1924. 

'^Verbal  statement  of  Captain  Hacker  of  Cairo  City  Ferry  Company. 


367]  TRANSPORTATION    COMPANIES  139 

A  recent  noticeable  development  of  transportation  on  inland 
waterways  is  that  of  private  floating  plants  engaged  solely  in  carry- 
ing materials  belonging  to  the  individual  enterprise.  The  bulk  of 
the  freight  carried  on  the  upper  Mississippi  today  is  handled  in 
this  way.  Various  business  firms  own  and  operate  small  steam  or 
gasoline  boats,  usually  with  barges,  for  the  purpose  of  transport- 
ing freight  in  connection  with  their  business.'^''  One  of  the  most 
im-portant  of  the  private  companies  is  the  Jones  and  Laughlin 
Steel  Corporation  of  Pittsburgh,  which  began  in  October,  192 1,  to 
ship  by  water  steel  products  from  their  works  on  the  Ohio  and 
Monongahela  rivers.^'  Barges  of  wire,  iron  pipe,  tin  plate,  struc- 
tural shapes,  nails,  and  fence  material  are  floated  down  stream 
to  Cincinnati,  Louisville,  Evansville,  St.  Louis,  Memphis,  and  New 
Orleans,  from  which  points  the  freight  is  distributed  by  rail  to  the 
interior  territory  or  shipped  to  Pacific  Coast  points  via  Panama 
Canal. ^^  It  is  strictly  a  delivery  service.  No  hauling  is  performed 
for  others,  and  no  joint  arrangements  of  any  sort  are  made  with 
rail  carriers.  Little  return  cargo  is  carried,  perhaps  a  little  lumber 
and  some  scrap.  Coal  is  brought  in  the  same  manner  from  their 
mines  on  the  banks  of  the  Monongahela.  The  coal  drops  directly 
from  the  tipple  into  the  barge,  and  is  transported  the  60  miles  to 
the  industrial  plant  at  a  cost  of  15  cents  a  ton,  including  loading.^^ 
The  manufacturing  plants  are  also  on  the  banks  of  the  rivers,  where 
they  were  located,  not  primarily  for  navigation,  but  to  secure  easily 
an  adequate  water  supply  for  industrial  purposes.'*"  This  com- 
pany, whose  producing  capacity  is  10,000  tons  of  iron  per  day, 
makes  the  claim  that  the  immense  growth  of  the  industry  which 
has  taken  place  would  not  have  been  possible  without  the  benefits 
of  water  transportation.^^  They  own  limestone  and  dolomite  quar- 
ries in  Pennsylvania  and  West  Virginia  and  iron  mines  in  Michi- 


^^ Annual  Report  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  II,  (1924),  1478- 

""Providing  for  the  Improvement  and  Completion  of  Prescribed  Sections  of 
the  Mississippi,  Missouri,  and  Ohio  Rivers,"  Hearings  on  House  Report  3921, 
68  Cong.,  I  sess.,  74,  (1924). 

^National  Industries,  April  6,  1925,  p.  6.  (Magazine,  Pittsburgh) 

^"Hearings  on  House  Report  3921,  p.  66. 

**A.  B.  Shepherd,  Shipping  Steel  Products  on  Itdand  Waterways,  1922,  p.  3. 
(Address  before  17th  Convention  of  National  Rivers  and  Harbors  Congress.) 

"Ibid.,  p.  5. 


140  THE  GEONOMIC   ASPECTS   OF   THE    ILLINOIS   WATERWAY         [368 

gan  and  Minnesota,  and  operate  a  fleet  of  vessels  on  the  Great 
Lakes/- 

Thls  rather  detailed  account  of  waterway  operations  on  the 
Ohio  has  been  given  to  show  that,  under  favorable  conditions, 
water  transportation  is  still  profitable.  When  the  commodity  to 
be  carried  can  be  transferred  directly  to  or  from  the  barge  without 
the  intervention  of  some  other  means  of  transportation,  the  econ- 
omy of  water  transportation  can  be  appreciated.  As  has  been  said 
many  times  before  in  this  treatise,  it  is  the  expensive  transship- 
ment between  land  and  water  carriage,  and  all  the  switching, 
drayage,  and  other  charges  incidental  to  it,  that  make  it  difficult 
for  water  transportation  to  be  profitable  at  a  rate  sufficiently  be- 
low that  by  rail  to  secure  the  traffic.  It  is  the  low  margin  of  profit, 
coupled  with  the  uncertainty  attached  to  water  transportation, 
that  deters  capital  from  investing  in  such  an  enterprise.  During 
the  years  of  railroad  ascendancy  industries  were  located  conven- 
iently to  railroads,  rather  than  to  waterways,  and  to  establish 
water  connections  would  require,  in  most  cases,  considerable  ex- 
penditure. Terminals  would  have  to  be  provided,  the  cost  of 
which  could  not  be  met  from  the  small  profits  from  water  haulage. 
Since  the  profit  on  each  ton  carried  by  water  is  very  small,  large 
quantities  must  be  carried  to  make  any  considerable  profit  on  such 
a  venture.  Large  quantities  can  be  handled  only  when  terminals 
are  adequate  and  equipment  extensive.  Floating  equipment  alone 
has  been  estimated  to  cost  at  the  rate  of  $20  per  ton  of  capacity 
for  steel  barges  and  $}0  per  ton  for  modern  towboats.*^  There  is 
no  governmental  control  of  water  rates,  therefore  cut-throat  com- 
petition of  other  companies  might  mean  serious  temporary  loss. 
Occasional  interruptions  from  low  water  or  ice  might  reduce  the 
profits  still  further.  Arrangements  with  railroads  for  joint  rates 
might,  or  might  not,  be  satisfactory.  Many  of  the  services  rendered 
by  the  railroads  are  impossible,  or  very  inconvenient  and  expen- 
sive, for  the  water  line  to  perform,  and  shippers  of  certain  com- 
modities prefer  to  pay  a  slightly  higher  rate  to  secure  these  advan- 
tages. On  the  whole,  the  prospect  of  much  money  being  invested 
in  equipment  for  handling  and  transporting  freight  by  common 

"Shepherd,  op.  cit.,  p.  3. 

"C.  J.  Grimm,  ''Waterway  and  Railway  Equivalents,"  Pro.  Amer.  Soc.  C. 
Eng.,  LI  (1925),  322  (Discussion). 


369]  TRANSPORTATION    COMPANIES  I4I 

public  carriers  is  very  unfavorable.  It  appears  to  the  writer,  there- 
fore, that  the  tendency  will  be  more  and  more  for  individual  inter- 
ests, so  placed  as  to  profit  from  a  waterway  gradually  to  monopo- 
lize its  use.  In  many  such  cases  the  profits  arising  from  a  low 
water  rate  are  absorbed  by  the  favored  few,  instead  of  being 
shared  with  the  public.  This  is  true  of  eastern  coal  in  Wisconsin, 
where  the  price  to  the  consumer  is  set  by  the  all-rail  rate,  although 
some  of  it  comes  by  the  cheaper  lake  route  to  Alilwaukee.''*  There- 
fore the  wisdom  of  the  public's  spending  large  sums  of  money  for 
improvements  to 'be  enjoyed  by  a  few  is  questionable.  As  long  as 
the  Federal  Government  backs  a  transportation  line  and  offers  to 
the  shipping  public  conveniences  of  rail  transportation  and  rates 
sufficiently  below  those  by  rail  to  offer  any  appreciable  saving,  a 
considerable  amount  of  traffic  will  be  forthcoming.  However,  if 
rates  are  raised  sufficiently  to  make  the  project  a  decidedly  pay- 
ing one,  traffic  will  undoubtedly  revert  to  the  railroad,  except  it 
may  be  in  periods  of  severe  car  shortage.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
financial  balance  of  the  Barge  Line  must  be  decidedly  favorable 
for  a  considerable  period  of  time  for  it  to  be  at  all  likely  that  pri- 
vate capital  will  be  spent  in  its  purchase.  Changes  now  unfor- 
seen,  or  slow  changes  such  as  growth  of  industries  along  the  water- 
way, requiring  a  long  period  of  time,  are  required  to  make  the  situ- 
ation otherwise. 


"Statement  of  a  Madison  retail  coal  dealer  to  Professor  R.  H.  Whitbeck. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  VALUE  OF  THE  WATERWAY 

The  new  Illinois  Waterway,  when  completed,  will  present  to 
the  public  a  reasonably  satisfactory  avenue  for  water  transporta- 
tion between  the  two  great  inland  waterway  systems  of  the  coun- 
try, the  Mississippi  and  the  Great  Lakes.  It  will  be  entirely  ad- 
equate for  barge  traffic,  not  only  for  present  needs  but  for  many 
years  to  come.  The  Illinois  portion  of  the  connected  waterway 
passes  through  the  center  of  one  of  the  most  prosperous  sections 
of  the  United  States,  and  at  its  eastern  terminus  lies  the  second 
city  in  size.  Toward  the  south,  through  the  New  Orleans  gateway, 
exports  may  be  carried  by  water  to  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  on 
the  return  imports  will  be  able  to  reach  the  heart  of  the  great 
central  valley  and  beyond  to  the  far  shores  of  the  Great  Lakes. 
Truly,  few  waterways  are  so  favorably  placed.  Let  us  now  attempt 
to  ascertain,  in  a  general  way,  the  probable  economic  contribution 
that  this  waterway  will  make. 

To  Relieve  the  Railroad  Burden 

The  strongest  argument  used  by  advocates  for  waterway 
im.provement  is  the  necessity  of  relieving  the  railroads  of  a  portion 
of  their  increasing  volume  of  freight.  It  is  asserted  that  the  trans- 
portation of  large  quantities  of  low  grade  bulk  freight  at  low 
freight  rates  is  unprofitable,  and  that  the  railroads,  If  relieved  of 
this  by  the  waterways,  would  be  able  to  handle  the  remainder 
profitably  at  rates  below  the  present  ones.  Experience,  however, 
shows  this  to  be  untrue.  It  has  been  shown  in  the  preceding  pages 
that  water  borne  traffic  on  the  Mississippi  system  today  is  made 
up  of  an  increasingly  greater  proportion  of  high  grade  freight  on 
which  the  20  per  cent  differential  of  the  water  rate  below  that  by 
rail  can  be  appreciated.  All  but  a  very  small  part  of  the  grain, 
coal,  and  lumber  moves  by  rail,  because  the  advantages  of  rail 
over  water  are  sufficient  to  retain  it.  On  the  other  hand,  railroads 
maintain  that  this  Is  the  most  profitable  business  they  have.^  Coal, 
for  instance,  moves  In  carload  shipments,  with  cars  loaded  to  the 

'C.  H.  Markham,  '"Waterway  and  Railway  Equivalents,"  Pro.  Amer.  Soc. 
C.  Eng.,  LI  (1925),  307. 

142 


371  ]  THE   VALUE   OF   THE   WATERWAY  143 

maximum.  Heavy  train  loads  of  this  commodity  are  operated 
more  economically  and  there  are  fewer  claims  to  pay,  than  in  the 
transportation  of  miscellaneous  freight.  It  is  claimed  that  rail- 
roads prefer  to  handle  coal  at  a  rate  one-fourth  that  received  for 
merchandise,  and  that  almost  any  American  railroad  would  "starve 
to  death,''  if  its  heavy  freight  business  were  taken  from  it.-  There- 
fore it  is  not  desirable  that  the  transfer  should  be  made.  More- 
over, it  is  extremely  doubtful,  as  has  been  shown  previously, 
whether  the  waterway  will  be  able  to  offer  sufficiently  advan- 
tageous rates  for  the  transportation  of  any  of  these  commodities 
to  secure  from  the  railroads  an  appreciable  quantity  of  them. 

In  the  second  place,  the  amount  that  the  waterway  will  be 
likely  to  carry,  compared  to  that  moving  by  rail,  w^ill  be  too  small, 
at  best,  to  make  any  impression  on  freight  congestion  in  periods 
of  car  shortage.  In  1923,  the  railroads  of  the  United  States  handled 
nearly  1,277,000,000  tons,  while  the  total  volume  of  foreign  and 
domestic  commerce  of  the  United  States  and  dependent  territories, 
except  on  the  Great  Lakes,  and  not  counting  coastwise  traffic  twice, 
Vv'as  about  96,000,000  tons,^  The  Illinois  Central  Railroad  alone 
handled  65,000,000  tons,*  while  all  the  water-borne  traffic  of  the 
Mississippi  \'alley  would  account  for  little  more  than  seven-tenths 
as  much  as  was  carried  by  this  one  road  (Table  XV), 


TABLE  XV.— TONNAGE  CARRIED  ON  THE  PRINCIPAL  INLAND 
WATERWAYS^  OF  CENTRAL  UNITED  STATES  IN  1923 

River  Short  tons  River  Short  tons 

Allegheny 4,612,640         Tennessee 842,677^ 

Cumberland 382,iii«        White I94>793" 

Illinois 174,078  Yazoo 79,937* 

Kanawha 1,572,821  Canal 

Mississippi 6,230,646*  Illinois  and 

Missouri 388,651"  Michigan 9>047 

Monongahela 23,560,024  Illinois  and 

Ohio 8,280,520  Mississippi 10,093 

Sanitary  Ship 412,051 

Total 46,917,121 

•Sum  of  tonnage  on  various  sections.    Considerable  duplication. 
•"Tons  boated.     "^Floated  logs  omitted. 


^Ibid. 
^Ibid. 
*lbid. 

^Re-port  of  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  II,   (1924). 


144  "^'HE  GEONOMIC   ASPECTS   OF   THE    ILLINOIS   WATERWAY         [372 

These  figures  reflect  the  advantages  of  rail  transportation  over 
that  by  water.  For  certain  types  of  freight,  such  as  cast  iron  and 
drain  tile,  the  extra  handling  by  water  increases  the  breakage,  so 
that  rail  movement,  even  at  a  higher  rate,  is  preferred.**  Speedier 
delivery,  also,  secures  certain  traffic.'^  The  convenience  and  econ- 
omy of  the  railroad  car,  which  can  be  switched  to  any  number  of 
advantageous  positions,  even  to  the  very  doors  of  the  industrial 
establishment,  can  not  be  duplicated  in  water  transportation.  Re- 
consignment  and  transit  privileges  offered  by  the  railroad  are 
almost  impossible  to  a  water  line.  These,  and  other  advantages, 
attract  to  the  railroad  nearly  all  the  traffic,  even  in  regions  served 
by  navigable  waterways.  The  tendency,  in  periods  of  serious  car 
shortage,  is  to  ship  more  by  water,  providing  such  facilities  are 
to  be  had.  This,  however,  is  not,  as  a  rule,  the  case,  and  to  keep 
boats  idle  most  of  the  time  in  order  to  have  them  in  emergencies 
would  be  more  expensive  than  the  occasional  use  would  warrant. 
It  is  not  reasonable  to  suppose,  either,  that  the  Illinois  Waterway 
will  contribute  more  to  relieve  transportation  emergencies  than 
other  navigable  waterways  have  been  able  to,  and  this  is  practi- 
cally negligible. 

On  rivers  lined  with  many  cities  and  towns,  where  there  is  a 
considerable  port  to  port  movement  of  freight,  the  advantages  of 
a  waterway  may  be  realized.  Many  small  boats  may  find  profita- 
ble employment  In  short  water  hauls,  and  the  service  may  be  even 
more  speedy  and  reliable  than  by  rail,  which  is  likely  to  involve 
switching.  This  is  not  so  true  for  carlots,  however,  as  for  small 
amounts  in  less  than  carload  lots.  For  communities  not  served  by 
railroads,  also,  river  transportation  may  be  invaluable,  as  along 
the  lower  Illinois,  where  shipping  points  may  be  established  at 
frequent  Intervals  along  the  way.  However,  for  any  large  move- 
ment of  freight  this  is  out  of  the  question.  In  the  region  under 
discussion  so  small  an  amount  of  freight  originates  close  to  the 
river  that  a  rail  haul  at  one  or  both  ends  of  the  line  is  necessary. 
The  Illinois  waterways  and  the  Mississippi  flow  through  an  area 
of  relatively  sparse  population  and  having  very  few  large  cities 
or  towns  on  the  river  banks.    Moreover,  there  are  no  large  and 

'81  I.  C.  C.  693  (1923). 

^■'Improvement  of  Illinois  and  Mississippi  Rivers  and  Diversion  of  Water 
from  Lake  Michigan,"  67  Cong.,  2  sess.,  47,  (1922). 


373]  THE   VALUE   OF   THE   WATERWAY  145 

important  deposits  of  valuable  minerals  close  enough  to  the  water- 
way for  the  output  to  be  shipped  without  the  intervention  of  the 
railroad.  Coal,  for  instance,  from  southern  Illinois  must  be  carried 
forty  miles  by  rail  to  the  river  to  avail  itself  of  water  carriage,  and 
any  increase  in  the  amount  carried  by  water  would  increase  to  the 
same  degree  the  need  for  rail  facilities  between  the  mine  and  the 
river  landing.  In  Chicago  the  transfer  between  land  and  water 
must  be  made  in  the  congested  terminal  area  within  trucking  dis- 
tance of  the  origin  or  destination  of  the  freight,  or  railroad  transfer 
must  be  provided  farther  out.  Neither  of  these  would  offer  relief 
from  railroad  traffic  congestion.  The  one  would  augment  street 
traffic  in  the  terminal  area,  just  as  if  the  freight  had  come  by  rail, 
and  the  other  would  demand  railroad  cars  when  they  are  at  a 
premium.  As  the  railroad  cars  can  be  unloaded,  and  loaded  and 
switched  out  of  the  way  more  speedily  than  the  transfer  can  be 
made  with  barges,  the  former  would  mean  more  rapid  movement 
of  freight  through  terminal  areas,  which  is  the  most  satisfactory 
solution  of  traffic  congestion.  There  would  be  no  advantage, 
therefore,  in  the  use  of  the  waterway  at  such  times. 

To  Offer  a  Cheaper  Transportation  Route 

The  second  argum.ent  favoring  waterway  Improvement,  and 
one  very  often  stressed,  is  that  transportation  by  water  is  much 
cheaper  than  that  by  rail,  and  freight  rates  by  rail  and  by  water 
are  quoted  to  prove  the  point.  Theoretically,  this  is  correct.  As 
the  people  are  taxed,  to  provide  navigable  waterways,  some  of  the 
money  thus  spent  should  return  to  them  in  the  form  of  lower 
transportation  rates.  However,  investigation  shows  that  this  is 
not  always  true  of  the  transportation  rate  alone,  and  when  all  costs 
are  considered,  it  is  seldom,  if  ever,  true.  Twenty  per  cent  of  the 
operating  expenses  of  railroads  apply  on  maintenance  of  way,^ 
while  the  United  States  Government  spends  a  similarly  large  sum 
on  the  improvement  of  navigable  waters,  a  fact  usually  ignored 
in  a  comparison  of  the  two  rates.  The  cost  of  tractive  power  is 
less  by  water,  but  that  is  a  very  sm.all  fraction  of  the  cost.^   Large 

'Baker,  "What  is  the  Future  of  Inland  Water  Transportation?",  Eng.  News- 
Record,  LXXXIV  (1920),  188. 
'Ibid. 


146  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY        [374 

sums  are  paid  by  the  railroads  as  taxes,  also,  some  of  which  helps 
to  pay  for  the  upkeep  of  the  waterway,  the  latter  pays  none.  To 
illustrate  the  point,  rates  in  France  and  Germany  are  often  quoted, 
but  conditions  are  not  at  all  comparable  to  those  in  America.  There 
is  a  difference  in  gov^ernmental  attitude  toward  canals  and  rail- 
roads in  both  France  and  Germany.  It  is  their  policy  to  foster  the 
transportation  of  low  grade  bulk  commodities  on  the  waterways 
by  direct  financial  contributions,  while  arbitrary  restrictions  are 
imposed  on  the  railroads  with  regard  to  the  same  class  of  traffic.^" 
Therefore  it  is  governmental  interference  that  accounts  for  the 
large  quantity  of  this  class  of  freight  carried  on  the  waterways  in 
those  countries,  and  for  the  correspondingly  great  difference  be- 
tween the  rates  by  rail  and  by  water. 

In  estimating  the  cost  of  transportation  by  rail  and  by  water 
all  the  items  of  cost  should  be  considered.  The  water  rate  usually 
Includes  only  the  cost  of  haulage.  The  rail  rate  must  also  include 
interest  on  investment  in  roadbed  and  terminals,  and  the  cost  of 
maintenance  of  way.  Estimates  of  transportation  costs  on  the  Illi- 
nois Waterway  should  be  figured  in  the  same  way. 

In  respect  to  cost  of  construction  and  maintenance  the  Illinois 
Waterway  is  favored  by  geographic  conditions.  No  deep  rock 
cuts  are  necessary,  such  as  those  made  in  excavating  for  the  San- 
itary Ship  Canal,  which  cares  for  the  most  expensive  portion  of  the 
whole  waterway  between  Chicago  and  Grafton.  If  the  $18,000,000 
spent  by  the  Sanitary  District  of  Chicago,^^  over  and  above  that 
necessary  for  sanitary  purposes  were  charged  to  transportation  on 
the  Illinois  Waterway  the  situation  would  be  much  less  favorable. 
The  annual  cost  of  maintenance  on  the  Canal  of  some  $75,000  will 
not  be  charged  to  it,  either,  though  this  Chicago  portion  is  a  very 
essential  part  of  the  whole  route.  Excavation  on  the  State  project 
is  largely  in  alluvium,  and  the  distribution  of  slope  Is  such  that 
conditions  satisfactory  for  navigation  can  be  obtained  by  only  four 
additional  dams  and  locks,^^*  a  relatively  small  number  to  construct 


^"Walter  L.  Fischer.  '"Waterways  and  Our  Transportation  System,"  Jour. 
Pol.  Econ.,  XXIU  (191S).  649- 

"W.  Frank  McClure,  'The  Chicago-St.  Louis  Waterway,"  Set.  Amer^ 
XCVII  (1907),  209. 

""The  fifth  lock  at  Lockport  is  a  substitute  for  the  existing  lock  of  the  Sani- 
tary District. 


375]  THE  VALUE   OF   THE   WATERWAY  I47 

and  operate  on  so  long  a  river  stretch.  When  compared  with  the 
Ilhnois  and  Alississippi  Canal  with  its  34  Locks,  the  advantage  of 
the  former  is  easy  to  comprehend.  Nevertheless,  there  will  be  very 
substantial  expenses,  which,  if  charged  to  navigation,  will  tax  the 
waterway  to  the  utmost.  Assuming  that  $5,000,000  will  be  suffi- 
cient for  construction  of  the  necessary  terminals  along  the  325.5 
miles  of  waterway,^-  and  that  $50,000  will  suffice  for  operation 
and  maintenance,^^  the  waterway  must  net  the  State  more  than 
$1,050,000  annually  to  be  self-supporting.  This  cares  for  operation 
and  maintenance  and  interest  on  the  investment  of  $25,000,000 
(construction  and  terminals)  at  4  per  cent  per  annum.^*  Of  the 
leading  commodities  carried  by  the  Federal  Barge  Line  for  which 
Chicago  and  the  region  of  the  waterway  may  be  held  responsible,^^ 
it  would  require  a  quantity  approximately  1,000  times  as  great  as 
all  such  freight  carried  by  the  Barge  Line  in  1923  to  make  expenses 
at  the  80  per  cent  differential  of  water  under  present  rail  rates.^^ 
In  order  to  pay  the  bonds  when  due  an  additional  million  dollars 
must  be  laid  aside  from  the  savings  each  year,  until  the  last  bond 
installment  is  paid.^^  Tolls  are  mentioned  in  the  bill  providing 
for  the  project,'^*  but  with  the  close  competition  existing  between 
river  and  rail,  it  is  clear  that  tolls  to  an  amount  that  would  be 
worth  counting  could  not  be  charged  and  any  appreciable  volume 
of  traffic  secured.  It  seems  certain,  therefore,  that  any  saving  that 
is  possible  through  the  use  of  the  waterway  will  be  much  more 
than  offset  by  the  expense  of  the  project. 

To  Reduce  Railroad  Rates 

Another  reason  given  for  the  expenditure  of  money  for  the 
maintenance  of  water  transportation  is  to  reduce  rail  rates.   The 

^'e\v  York  spent  about  $25,000,000  for  terminals  for  its  barge  canal  of 
about  340  miles  in  length. 

"These  charges  were  $133,782.46  on  the  Illinois  and  Mississippi  Canal  in 
1924. 

"Interest  is  to  be  paid  semi-annually. 

*^Sugar,  coffee,  and  sisal,  north;  Iron,  steel,  and  manufactures  of  the  same, 
agricultural  implements,  prepared  roofing,  and  galvanized  materials,  south. 

"Computed  on  a  saving  of  20  per  cent  of  rail  rates. 

"One  million  dollars  worth  shall  become  due  January-  ist  in  each  of  years 
1921  to  1940  both  Inclusive.  Laws  of  Illinois,  1919,  p.  988. 

^^Lau's  of  Illinois,  19 19,  p.  979. 


148  THE   GEONOMIC  ASPECTS   OF   THE    ILLINOIS   WATERWAY         [376 

force  of  this  argument  is  much  weakened  by  the  power  given  to 
the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission  to  regulate  rail  rates,  so  that 
indiscriminate  cutting  of  rates  simply  to  eliminate  competition  is 
no  longer  possible.  Nevertheless,  lower  rail  rates  to  competitive 
water  points  than  to  inland  stations  is  permitted.  The  most  marked 
example  of  the  operation  of  the  principle  of  water  competition  in 
reducing  the  cost  of  rail  transportation  is  that  of  the  comparative 
rates  between  Atlantic  and  Pacific  coasts  of  the  United  States,  and 
the  appeal  made  by  the  railroads  for  relief.  The  long  water  haul 
via  Panama  Canal  between  these  points  creates  so  low  a  trans- 
portation cost  that  railroads  must  carry  commodities  at  a  much 
lower  than  ordinary  ton-mile  rate  to  compete  with  them.  For  in- 
stance, in  1922,  the  rail  rate  on  points  from  Boston  to  Seattle,  3,000 
miles,  was  ^1.83%  per  100  pounds,  while  that  from  St.  Louis  to 
Denver,  1,000  miles,  was  $1.0614.^^  At  the  same  time,  lemons 
moved  in  carload  lots  from  Los  Angeles  to  Boston  at  the  same  rate 
that  was  charged  to  Kansas  City.^° 

Mississippi  River  points  have  likewise  profited  from  lower 
rail  rates  than  were  offered  to  inland  stations,  the  advantage  being 
continued  even  after  active  water  transportation  had  ceased. ^^ 
Within  the  last  ten  years,  however,  there  has  been  an  increasing 
tendency  with  the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission  to  refuse  to 
recognize  potential  water  competition  as  a  justification  for  reduced 
rail  rates  to  river  points,  and  railroads  have  been  obliged  to  prove 
that  actual  water  competition  existed.^^  Doubts  were  expressed 
as  early  as  1913  as  to  the  extent  to  which  potential  water  compe- 
tition should  be  recognized,-^  and,  in  the  decision  in  the  "Rates 
from  New  Orleans  and  Galveston*'  case  in  1917,  the  Commission 
held  that  lower  rates  from  New  Orleans  to  Kansas  City  were  not 
compelled  by  water  competition,  and  that  the  situation  was  con- 
trolled entirely  by  rail  lines,^*  In  December,  1919  in  the  "Mem- 
phis-Southwestern Investigation,"  it  was  stated,  also,  that,  to  be 
considered  a  controlling  influence,  a  water  line  must  not  simply 


""Railroad  Rates  vs.  Water,"  Cong.  Record,  LXII   (Feb.  7,  1922),  2234. 

Vbid. 

^391.  C.  C.  242  (1916). 

^371.  C.C.  581  (1915). 

'28  I.  c.  c.  583  (1913). 

*44  I.  C.  C.  727  (1917). 


377]  THE  VALUE  OF   THE   WATERWAY  I49 

follow  the  lead  of  the  railroads  and  set  their  rates  at  a  point  barely 
sufficient  to  compensate  for  inferiority  of  service. -°  According  to 
this  decision,  cities  on  the  Mississippi  touched  by  the  Federal 
Barge  Line  must  be  considered  active  water  competitive  points, 
as,  on  several  occasions,  the  Line  has  reduced  its  rates  prior  to 
the  reduction  of  similar  rates  by  rail.  Many  cases  can  be  cited  in 
which  water  competition  appears  to  be  the  explanation  of  a  lower 
ton-mile  rate.  For  example,  Dubuque,  Iowa,  and  La  Crosse,  Wis- 
consin seem  to  be  favored  by  their  position  on  the  Mississippi. 
Madison,  Wisconsin,  which  is  only  about  seven-tenths  as  far  from 
Chicago  as  Dubuque,  pays  a  higher  rate  on  through  freight,  while 
points  between  Madison  and  La  Crosse  pay  Twin  City  rates,  which 
are  considerably  more  than  is  charged  to  La  Crosse.^®  On  the 
other  hand,  comparative  rates  often  indicate  that  other  factors 
than  water  competition  are  responsible  for  differences  found.  Long- 
haul  rates  are  usually  less  per  ton-mile  than  are  rates  for  short 
distances.  Export  all-rail  class  rates  in  effect  January  ist,  1923, 
from  St.  Louis  and  Pittsburgh  to  New  York  and  New  Orleans  do 
not  accord  with  either  principle.  From  St.  Louis  to  New  York, 
1,069  miles,  the  ton-mile  rate  on  Class  I  freight  was  .156  cents; 
to  New  Orleans,  699  miles,  it  was  .193  cents.  From  Pittsburgh  to 
New  York,  444  miles,  the  ton-mile  rate  on  the  same  class  of  com- 
modities was  .079  cents,  while  it  was  .152  to  New  Orleans,  1,142 
m.iles  distant. ^^  Apparently,  in  these  cases,  neither  distance  nor 
present  water  competition  is  the  controlling  influence.  The  lower 
east-west  rates  are  probably  a  legacy  of  the  rate  wars  between 
railroads  during  the  disastrous  competitive  period,  and  of  compe- 
tition of  these  lines  with  lake  and  canal  transportation. 

Chicago,  from  its  position  on  Lake  Michigan,  has  profited  for 
many  years  by  the  cheap  lake  and  canal  rates,  and  the  competitive 
rail  rates  to  the  east.  It  seems  to  be  favored,  also,  to  the  south, 
where  no  active  water  competition  has  existed  for  decades.  Estab- 
lished relationships  resulting  from  numerous  agreements  among 
the  several  railroads  from  time  to  time  appear  to  be  more  impor- 

*'H.  B.  Vanderblue  and  K.  F.  Burgess,  Railroads,  1923,  p.  166. 

^"Tariff  schedules  in  possession  of  Mr.  S.  L.  Foote,  Secretary,  Madison 
Chamber  of  Commerce. 

""The  Port  of  New  Orleans,"  Port  Series,  No.  5,  War  Department,  1924, 
p.  178. 


150  THE   GEONOMIC   ASPECTS   OF   THE    ILLINOIS   WATERWAY         [378 

tant  than  other  factors  in  the  determination  of  present  rail  rates. 
According  to  the  present  system,  the  country  is  divided  into  several 
rate-making  territories  within  which  are  other  divisions  called  rate 
zones.  Illinois,  because  of  its  central  position  between  four  of  the 
great  rate-making  territories,  has  the  advantage  of  through  rates 
to  the  east,  southeast,  south,  southwest,  and  west,  which  not  all 
middle  western  states  have.-^  The  position  of  Chicago  in  this 
central  territory,  and  at  the  head  of  Lake  Michigan  where  rail- 
roads converge,  has  given  it  exceptional  advantages  in  rate  mak- 
ing. Its  location  and  importance,  and  the  importance  of  the  rail 
and  water  routes  between  it  and  New  York  have  made  it  the  rate 
basing  point  for  a  large  area  in  central  United  States,  and  have 
given  to  it  some  of  the  most  advantageous  rail  rates  the  world 
has  ever  known.  As  the  same  rates  are  extended  to  the  entire  zone 
in  which  Chicago  lies,  and  proportionally  low  rates  to  the  whole 
central  freight  association  territory,  of  which  Illinois  forms  a  part, 
this  is  a  region  which  enjoys  rail  rates  much  below  the  average  for 
the  country.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  railroads  are  now  offering 
rates  as  low  as  will  permit  them  to  continue  in  operation  as  busi- 
ness enterprises,  no  further  reduction  of  rail  rates  in  this  territory 
can  be  reasonably  expected  or  desired.  The  Illinois  Waterway, 
therefore,  will  be  absolutely  valueless  in  this  regard. 

To  Furnish  Water  Power 

Another  contribution  possible  to  the  W' aterway  and  one  men- 
tioned much  more  often  in  the  beginning  than  at  the  present  time, 
obviously  for  political  reasons,  is  that  of  water  power.  By  the 
amendment  to  the  Constitution  in  1919,  the  State  of  Illinois  was 
permitted,  as  a  part  of  the  Illinois  Waterway  project,  to  provide 
for  the  development  of  water  power  along  the  route.  The  State 
may  construct  water  power  plants  and  lease  the  output,  or  the 
water  may  be  leased  to  a  company  who  will  build  the  plant.^^  The 
amount  of  power  that  can  be  obtained  is  directly  dependent  on 
the  volume  of  water  diverted  from  Lake  Michigan,  as  the  natural 
flow  of  the  river  is  very  irregular,  partly  due  to  the  extensive 


^"Illinois  Facts,"  Report  Chicago  Association  of  Commerce,  1921,  p.  il. 
"Laws  of  Illinois,  1919,  p.  979. 


379]  THE   VALUE  OF   THE   WATERWAY  IJI 

drainage  operations  carried  out  in  the  State.^°  The  volume  at 
Marseilles  during  the  dry  season  does  not  exceed  50,000  cubic 
feet  per  minute,^^  an  amount  insufficient  to  make  power  develop- 
ment at  that  point  profitable.^-  Estimates  of  the  power  which  the 
project  will  make  available  range  from  110,000  horse  power  in 
1911^^  to  about  half  that  amount  at  the  present  time.  Earlier  fig- 
ures are  undoubtedly  much  too  large.  Moreover,  estimates  are 
based  on  a  diversion  of  water  through  the  Chicago  drainage  canal 
of  10,000  cubic  feet  per  second,  whereas,  by  the  order  of  the  Sec- 
retary of  War,  the  present  flow  of  8,500  cubic  feet  per  second  is 
permitted  only  until  1930,  after  which  time  the  amount  is  not  to 
exceed  4,167  cubic  fet  per  second.^*  According  to  the  Illinois 
Division  of  Waterways,  55,000  horse  power  will  be  developed  as 
a  by-product  of  the  waterway  construction,^^  but,  in  order  to  com- 
ply with  the  Federal  Water  Power  Act  in  that  the  fullest  practi- 
cable utilization  may  be  made  available,  an  installation  of  75-000 
horse  power  is  to  be  provided.  It  is  to  be  distributed  as  follows: 
At  Brandon  Road,  where  there  will  be  a  fall  of  31  feet,  28,000 
horse  power;  at  Dresden  Island,  with  a  fall  of  17  feet,  18,000  horse 
power;  at  Bell's  Island,  with  a  fall  of  21  feet,  7,000  horse  power; 
and  at  Starved  Rock,  with  a  fall  of  16  feet,  22,000  horse  power. 
The  small  amount  at  Bell's  Island  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  re- 
mainder is  being  developed  by  private  interests.^''  The  sum  of 
$8,000,000  has  been  mentioned  as  the  cost  of  the  necessary  struc- 
tures.^^ 

The  net  revenues  accruing  to  the  State  from  water  power  will 
depend  on  the  cost  of  development  and  the  size  of  the  market. 

'"A.  H.  Horton,  "Water  Resources  of  Illinois,"  Report  of  Rivers  and  Lakes 
Commission,  1914,  p.  373- 

""The  Conservation  of  Water  Power  in  the  Des  Plaines  and  Illinois  Riv- 
ers," Bui.  I,  Rivers  and  Lakes  Commission,  191 1,  p.  7- 

'"'The  Illinois  Water-Power-Water-Way,"  Bui  9,  Rivers  and  Lakes  Com- 
mission, 19 1 2,  p.  II. 

""Prospectus  of  a  Project  for  a  Deep  Waterway,"  Bid.  2,  Rivers  and  Lakes 
Commission,  191 1,  p.  9. 

"•"Weeks  Sets  Limits  for  Chicago  Canal,"  The  New  York  Times,  (March 
7,  192s),  XXI,  2. 

'^"Communication  from  L.  D.  Cornish,"  Illinois  Division  of  Waterways. 

''Ibid. 

""The  Illinois  State  Waterway  for  Barge  Navigation,"  £7!^.  News,  LXXXV 
(1920),  1098. 


152  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY        I380 

Early  estimates  placed  this  figure  at  ^2,500,000  annually,^^  but  the 
more  recent  one  of  $750,000^^  is  much  more  likely  to  be  correct. 
However,  great  uncertainty  accompanies  the  development  of  hy- 
dro-electric power.  Installation  is  very  expensive.  For  public 
safety  the  structures  must  be  built  very  strong,  and  floods  during 
construction  may  cause  serious  damage.  Not  only  dams,  but  im- 
pounding reservoirs,  flumes,  etc.,  and  long  transmission  lines  must 
be  provided.  In  this  case,  however,  dam  and  flowage  rights  are 
cared  for  in  the  waterway  project,  thereby  reducing  the  charge 
otherwise  assessed  to  water  power.  A  water  power  plant  consumes 
no  fuel,  so  operating  cost  is  less  than  for  electricity  generated  by 
steam,  but  fixed  charges  are  much  heavier,  as  the  original  plant 
costs  from  two  to  five  times  as  much  per  unit  of  capacity. *°  In 
191 2,  the  cost  of  installation  was  estimated  to  fall  somewhere  be- 
tween ^100  and  ^200  per  horse  power,  depending  on  the  physical 
conditions  and  the  length  of  the  transmission  lines.^^  In  Illinois, 
where  coal  is  relatively  cheap,  the  advantage  of  steam  power  com- 
pared to  that  generated  by  water  is  greater  than  in  some  parts 
of  the  country.  In  1911  the  cost  of  steam  generated  electric  power 
was  said  to  be  $35  per  horse  power  year.*^  Since  that  time  coal 
has  increased  in  price  on  an  average  of  i  per  cent  per  year,  but  the 
cost  of  electric  power  production  from  coal  has  decreased  on  an 
average  of  2^4  per  cent  per  year.^^  Therefore  the  actual  cost  of 
developing  electricity  from  steam  is  less  than  it  was  in  the  pre- 
war period.  Moreover,  the  sale  price  of  hydro-electric  power  must 
be  materially  less  than  that  of  steam  generated  power  to  compete 
with  it,  as  the  service  is  less  dependable.  Interruptions  may  come 
through  irregular  stream  flow,  floods,  wind,  sleet,  or  lightning.** 
Basing  the  estimate  on  other  power  prices,  the  State  has  assumed 

'"■'The  Illinois  Water-Power-Water-Way,"  p.  10. 

^Second  Annual  Report  of  Illinois  Division  of  Waterways,  1919,  p.  6. 

^Hearings  before  the  Committee  on  Water  Power  of  the  House  of  Reprc" 
sentatives,  65  Cong.,  2  sess.,  542,  (1918). 

*"Water  Power  Development  in  the  United  States,"  Report  of  the  Com- 
missioner of  Corporations,  1912,  p.  87. 

*'"The  Conservation  of  Water  Power  in  the  Des  Plaines  and  Illinois  Riv- 
ers," p.  8. 

*^Hearings  before  the  Committee  on  Water  Power  of  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives, p.  8. 

*'Jbid. 


381]  THE   VALUE   OF   THE   WATERWAY  I53 

a  sale  price  of  from  four  to  five  mills  per  kilowatt  hour,  which  is 
believed  to  be  conservative.*^  The  four-mill  rate  gives  approxi- 
mately $25  per  horse  power  year,**^  which  probably  represents  the 
maximum  price  the  State  will  be  able  to  receive  in  competition 
with  coal-using  plants. 

Assuming  that  $2$  per  horse  power  year  can  be  received  for 
the  State's  product,  the  next  question  is  the  one  of  markets.  It  is 
very  important  that  a  ready  market  exist  for  practically  the  entire 
output  from  the  start,  as  with  water  power  development  substan- 
tially all  the  expenditure  for  the  whole  plant  must  be  made  before 
any  power  can  be  delivered.*^  In  this  respect  a  steam  plant  has 
the  advantage  in  that  additional  units  may  be  constructed  as  needs 
arise.  The  main  demands  for  electricity  are  for  lighting,  traction, 
and  manufacturing,  the  surest  and  most  immediate  market  being 
offered  by  the  growing  municipalities.  If  reports  are  true,  how- 
ever, most  of  these  markets  are  closed  to  the  State  developed 
product  for  a  very  long  time  through  the  granting  to  already  in- 
corporated companies  of  long  term  franchises.  It  is  said  that  50- 
year  franchises  were  obtained  by  the  newly  Incorporated  Illinois 
Valley  Gas  and  Electric  Light  Company  in  19 10  from  fifteen  cities 
and  towns  In  the  vicinity  of  the  waterway,  Including  Jollet, 
Streator,  and  Ottawa.*^  Other  corporations,  such  as  the  Common- 
wealth Edison  Company  and  the  Illinois  Traction  Company,  have 
similar  rights  In  other  centers  of  population  In  the  area.  It  would 
seem,  therefore,  that  the  State's  product  must  depend  very  largely 
on  manufacturing  establishments  for  its  market,  In  which  case  the 
competition  with  steam  power  will  be  keen.  The  cheap  and  easily 
obtained  coal  in  Illinois,  and  the  high  Initial  expense  and  the  un- 
certainties accompanying  hydro-electric  development  have  pre- 
vented anything  like  an  equal  development  of  the  two.  In  1920, 
six  per  cent  of  the  electrical  output  of  central  stations  In  the  State 
was  generated  by  water  and  94  per  cent  by  fuel,  a  proportion 
which  will  probably  be  maintained  for  a  considerable  period  of 


^''■'Communication  from  L.  D.  Cornish." 

^'One  horse  power  =  .746  kilowatt. 

"Digest  of  Transactions  of  First  World  Power  Conference,  (London,  1924), 
p.  ID.     (Quoted  from  II,  p.  1230). 

"Gov.  Charles  Deneen,  Special  Message  to  the  Illinois  General  Assembly, 
1911,  p.  14. 


154  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE  ILLINOIS  WATERWAY        [382 

time.*^  The  estimate,  therefore,  of  ^750,000  as  annual  net  revenue 
to  the  State  from  developed  water  power  probably  represents  the 
maximum  that  can  reasonably  be  expected.  With  this  return  there 
would  be  some  ^400,000  surplus  each  year  over  and  above  the 
interest  at  four  per  cent  on  the  Investment,  if  the  $8,000,000  esti- 
mated as  cost  of  construction  is  sufficient.  Part  of  this  might  apply 
on  original  cost  of  construction  and  subsequent  repairs.  It  is  pos- 
sible, therefore,  that  this  sum  will  permit  a  sinking  fund  with 
which  to  meet  the  original  cost  of  water  power  development,  but 
only  after  a  long  period  of  time.  However,  it  is  quite  evident  that 
the  original  expectations  that  revenue  from  water  power  will  con- 
tribute sufficiently  to  provide  for  the  cost  of  the  entire  waterway 
project  in  a  limited  time  will  not  be  realized.  It  will  be  many, 
many  years,  if  ever,  before  the  State  of  Illinois  is  properly  com- 
pensated for  its  expenditure  on  the  Illinois  Waterway. 

Conclusion 

As  conclusi-ons  have  been  drawn  freely  during  the  progress 
of  this  discussion,  little  that  is  new  remains  to  be  said  in  this 
closing  paragraph.  A  summary,  therefore,  in  which  all  the  findings 
are  brought  together  will  suffice.   They  are  as  follows: 

1.  Under  the  favorable  geographic  conditions  offered  by  the 
chosen  route,  the  State  of  Illinois  will  be  able  to  construct  with  an 
expenditure  of  $20,000,000  an  adequate  waterway  connecting  the 
Sanitary  Ship  Canal  with  the  navigable  portion  of  the  Illinois 
River,  a  waterway  suitable  in  all  respects  for  the  traffic  it  will  be 
called  upon  to  carry.  It  will  accommodate  practically  all  the  ves- 
sels afloat  on  the  Mississippi  system  at  present,  except  the  2,000- 
ton  barges  used  by  the  Federal  Barge  Line  on  the  Mississippi. 
However,  to  construct  it  deep  enough  for  vessels  of  nine  feet  draft 
would  require  an  unwarranted  additional  expenditure. 

2.  Trans-shipment  charges  are  relatively  high  compared  to  the 
cost  of  haulage,  and  handling  and  transfer  facilities  are  very 
meager  along  the  entire  route  between  Chicago  and  Grafton.  Ter- 
minal facilities  must,  therefore,  be  provided,  if  any  appreciable 
amount  of  traffic  is  to  be  handled.   A  conservative  estimate  of  the 

**Samuel  Insull,  Production  and  Distribution  of  Electric  Energy  in  the 
Central  Portion  of  the  Mississippi  Falley,  1921,  p.  15.  (Lecture) 


383]  THE   VALUE  OF   THE  WATERWAY  I55 

cost  of  these  facilities,  based  on  similar  expenditures  elsewhere, 
is  an  additional  $5,000,000. 

3.  Traffic  conditions  in  this  region  do  not  indicate  a  need  for 
an  additional  transportation  line  such  as  will  be  provided  by  the 
waterway.  Railroads  are  numerous,  and  they  are  admittedly  ad- 
equate, with  few,  if  any,  exceptions,  for  the  transportation  service 
required.  In  fact,  present  facilities  are  not  used  to  the  fullest 
degree  possible,  as  is  indicated  by  the  small  amount  of  traffic  car- 
ried on  the  navigable  Illinois,  and  by  the  appeal  for  abandonment 
by  a  railroad  traversing  the  region  adjacent  to  the  waterway. 
Moreover,  the  amount  that  will  be  carried  on  the  waterway,  com- 
pared to  that  carried  by  rail,  will  be  too  small  to  make  any  ap- 
preciable impression  in  relieving  the  railroad  burden. 

4.  Traffic  congestion  occurs  chiefly  in  terminal  areas  of  large 
cities,  such  as  Chicago.  The  preferable  remedy  is  to  expedite  the 
movement  of  freight  through  these  areas,  by  more  extensive  use 
of  existing  terminals  and  of  modern  handling  equipment  and  the 
motor  truck,  rather  than  by  a  waterway  and  additional  terminals. 

5.  The  traffic  that  can  be  carried  more  cheaply  by  water  than 
by  rail  is  limited  in  both  kind  and  amount. 

a,  A  relatively  small  amount  of  freight  originates  directly  on 
the  banks  of  the  waterway  in  Illinois,  or  along  connected  water- 
ways. The  region  adjacent  to  the  Illinois-Mississippi  waterway 
between  Chicago  and  New  Orleans  has  a  relatively  sparse  popula- 
tion. There  are  few  large  cities  on  the  route.  Industries  have 
grown  up  with  reference  to  rail,  rather  than  to  water  transporta- 
tion, and  to  establish  water  connections  is  very  expensive.  The 
route  traverses  no  region  of  large  mineral  wealth  which  can  be 
tapped  without  the  intervention  of  rail  haul,  and  the  cost  of  transfer 
between  land  and  water  usually  makes  rail  transportation  cheaper 
than  that  by  water. 

b.  The  cheapness  and  efficiency  of  rail  service  made  possible 
by  perfected  organization,  long  trains,  and  heavily  loaded  cars 
have  given  the  advantage  to  the  railroads  in  the  transportation  of 
bulk  freight,  such  as  coal.  In  Illinois  the  coal  near  the  waterway 
is  of  too  poor  a  quality  to  compete  with  the  better  product  of  the 
southern  fields,  which  lie  40  miles  from  the  river.  The  cost  of 
extra  handling,  counting  investment  in  water  terminals,  and  break- 
age incident  to  transfer,  will  offset  the  difference  between  rail  and 


156  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [384 

water  rates.  Special  privileges  offered  by  railroads  make  them 
preferable  in  the  transportation  of  much  of  the  grain,  and  most  of 
that  coming  to  Chicago  grows  too  far  to  the  north  and  west  to  be 
benefited  by  use  of  the  waterway.  Lumber  is  no  longer  obtained 
along  the  streams,  and  it  reaches  Chicago  cheaper  by  rail  than  it 
could  by  water. 

c.  The  type  of  freight  most  likely  to  pass  over  the  waterway 
is  of  a  miscellaneous  character  on  which  the  economy  of  railroad 
service  is  realized  the  least.  Judging  from  the  experience  of  the 
Federal  Barge  Line,  the  chief  commodities  will  be  imports  of 
sugar,  coffee,  sisal,  etc.,  north,  and  manufactured  articles  south, 
representing  a  relatively  high  value  on  which  transportation  rates 
are  proportionally  high.  On  this  class  of  freight  the  20  per  cent 
differential  of  water  below  rail  rates  can  be  appreciated. 

6.  The  benefits  from  the  use  of  the  waterway  will  be  limited 
to  a  relatively  few  people.  Some  of  the  industrial  concerns  located 
directly  on  the  waterway  may  find  its  use  profitable,  also  whole- 
sale houses  handling  such  imports  as  sugar  and  coffee. 

7.  The  uncertainties  of  water  transportation  and  railroad 
competition  have  made  the  profits  from  the  business  of  common 
carriers  so  low  as  to  discourage  private  capital  from  investing  in  it. 
There  are  few  common  carriers  on  the  Mississippi  system,  and  no 
through  service  for  any  considerable  distance,  except  that  of  the 
Federal  Barge  Line.  Much  depends  on  the  success  of  this  Govern- 
ment experiment.  Unless  it  demonstrates  conclusively  that  water 
transportation  pays,  private  capital  will  not  invest  in  it.  The 
tendency  is  for  private  carriers  to  increase  in  number,  and  the 
chances  are  that  this  type  of  service  will  gradually  monopolize  the 
waterways. 

8.  To  meet  the  annual  expense  of  interest  at  4  per  cent  on 
the  original  investment  of  ^25,000,000  for  construction  and  termi- 
nals, and  of  $50,000  for  maintenance  would  require  an  amount  of 
freight  of  the  character  most  likely  to  pass  over  the  waterway 
approximately  one  thousand  times  that  carried  by  the  Federal 
Barge  Line  in  1923,  counting  the  saving  at  20  per  cent  of  the  pres- 
ent rail  rates.  To  provide  for  a  sinking  fund  v/ith  which  to  pay 
the  bonds  when  due  would  require  an  additional  million  dollars 
for  each  of  twenty  years.  That  the  tonnage  will  be  great  enough 
for  many  years,  if  ever,  to  account  for  more  than  a  small  part  of 


385]  THE  VALUE  OF   THE   WATERWAY  157 

the  annual  expense  in  savings  through  the  use  of  water  transpor- 
tation, instead  of  rail,  is  highly  improbable.  The  remainder  must 
be  met  by  the  taxpayers  of  Illinois.  As  a  business  proposition, 
therefore,  the  Illinois  Waterway,  from  the  standpoint  of  naviga- 
tion, promises  to  be  a  decidedly  losing  venture. 

9.  In  the  reduction  of  rail  rates  it  will  also  be  of  doubtful 
value.  Railroads  are  already  performing  the  service  of  transpor- 
tation under  rates  that  are  barely  suflEicient  to  enable  them  to  con- 
tinue operation  as  business  enterprises.  Illinois,  through  its  geo- 
graphic position,  and  especially  Chicago,  is  favored  by  exception- 
ally low  railroad  rates.  It  is  neither  desirable,  nor  reasonable  to 
expect,  therefore,  that  railroad  rates  will  be  reduced  through  the 
construction  of  the  Illinois  Waterway. 

10.  The  development  of  water  power  is  the  nearest  to  a  justi- 
fication for  the  construction  of  the  Illinois  Waterway.  It  will 
probably  be  able  to  bring  into  the  State  treasury  enough  to  pay 
for  its  own  construction  in  a  reasonable  length  of  time.  That  it 
will  not  meet  earlier  expectations  In  defraying  the  expenses  of  the 
entire  project  Is  very  evident,  though  after  a  very  long  time  it  may 
contribute  a  very  small  amount  toward  that  end. 

11.  The  fact  that  large  sums  of  money  are  continually  being 
spent  on  waterways  that  are  not  needed  and  will  apparently  never 
justify  the  expenditure  through  their  use  is  evidence  of  a  need  of 
governmental  regulation  of  such  operations.  Waterways  should 
be  required  to  show  their  need,  just  as  railroads  are  now  required 
to  do  before  construction  of  additional  lines  Is  permitted  by  the 
Interstate  Commerce  Commission.  The  decision  should  be  based 
on  a  thorough  and  scientific  study  by  competent  and  disinterested 
persons.  Only  in  this  way  can  extravagant  and  useless  expenditure 
on  waterway  Improvement  be  prevented. 


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387]  BIBLIOGRAPHY  159 

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l60  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY        [388 

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389]  BIBLIOGRAPHY  161 

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l62  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS   OF   THE    ILLINOIS   WATERWAY         [39O 

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under  H.  J.  R.  No.  41),  Jan.  2,  1923 
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,  Report  of  Board  of  Trustees,  1 844-1 868 

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Bottom  Lands,  1915 
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of  the  Sanitary  District  of  Chicago,  19 1 2 
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391  ]  BIBLIOGRAPHY  163 

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Illinois  Coal  Fields,  Bui.  19,  1917 
State  Geological  Survey 

AxDROS,  S.  0.,  "Coal  Mining  in  Illinois,"  Illinois  Coal  Mining  In- 
vestigations, Bui.  IS,  191 5 
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Bui.  38,  1922 
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District,"  Bui.  8,  1907,  pp.  345-372 
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La  Salle,"  Bui.  8,  1907,  pp.  127-134 
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Bui.  16,  Cooperative  Coal  Mining  Series,  Illinois  Coal  Mining 

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Frankfort  Quadrangle,  Illinois,"  Bui.  16,  1910,  pp.  244-265 
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and  La  Salle  Quadrangles,"  Bui.  $7,  1919 

Cady,  Gilbert  H.,  "Low  Sulphur  Coal  in  Illinois,"  Bui.  sS,  1922, 
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1925 

Kay,  Fred  H.,  and  White,  K.  D.,  "Coal  Resources  of  District 
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Krey,  Frank  and  Lamar,  J.  E.,  "Limestone  Resources  of  Illinois," 
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of  Coal  During  Ordinary  Laboratory  Storage,"  Bui.  8,  1907, 
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164  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY        [392 

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1915,  pp.  131-138 
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393]  BIBLIOGRAPHY  165 

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Memorial  by  Trustees  of  the  Sanitary  District  of  Chicago  Favoring  the 
Construction  by  the  Government  of  the  United  States  of  a  Deep 
Watenvay  from  Lake  Michigan  to  the  Mississippi  River,  1900 

Randolph,  Robert  Isham,  A  Review  of  the  Chicago  Sanitary  and  Ship 
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Sanitary  Ship  Canal,  Report  on,  by  the  Board  of  Trustees,  Sanitary 
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1924 
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Brown,  Earle,  48:1003-1006,  1922 
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51:1237-1309,  1925 
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51:306-328,  1925 
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BiBBiNS,    J.    Rowland,    "Railroads,    the    Arteries    of    Commerce," 

87:693-707,  1924 
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1924 
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portation, 87:682-688,  1924 
Merrill,  O.  C,  "The  Operation  of  the  Federal  Water  Power  Act," 

86:749-756,  1923 
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1923 
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860,  1923 
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395]  BIBLIOGRAPHY  167 

B.  Annals  of  American  Academy  of  Political  and  Social  Science 

Bradford,  Ernest  S.,  '"Water  Terminals  in  the  United  States  and  their 
Control,"  55:237-242,  1914 

Jones,  L.  M.,  "Improvement  of  Missouri  River  and  its  Usefulness  as  a 
Traffic  Route,"  31:178-188,  1908 

LoTZ,  Prof.  Walter,  "Significance  of  German  Inland  Waterways," 
31:246-262,  1908 

Way,  R.  B.,  "Mississippi  River  Improvements  and  Traffic  Prospects," 
31:146-163,  1908 

VoN  Volcker,  Ministerialrat,  "German  Transportation  and  Communica- 
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C.  Coal  Age 

Baker,  Donald  J.,  "Coal  is  Assembled  by  Motor  Truck  and  Shipped 
by  Railroad,"  18:491,  1920 

Handle  Coal  Ten  Times  in  15  Miles,  28:467,  1925 

HoNNOLD,  F.  C,  "Chicago  is  the  World's  Greatest  Coal  Market," 
21:18-19,  1922 

Patterson,  H.  A.,  "Good  Coke  now  Manufactured  from  Non-Coking 
Coals  of  IlHnois,"  22:45-50,  1922 

Rates  on  Coal,  28:36,  1925 

Want  Big  Muddy  Improved  for  Coal  Traffic,  28:437,  1925 

Water  Transportation  for  Relieving  Railroad  Congestion,  13:831-2,  1918 

Will  Midwest  Rivers  Reduce  Cost  of  Illinois  Coal  to  Chicago  and  North- 
west Consumers?  25:246-7,  1924 

Williams,  A.  W.,  "Old-Time  Ohio  River  Coal  Traffic  is  Revived," 
24:137,  1923 

D.  Congressional  Digest 

AsHBURN,  T.  Q.,  "Governmental  Pioneering  on  Inland  Water  Transpor- 
tation," 3:368-370,  1924 

Is  Transportation  Cheaper  by  Water  than  by  Rail?  (pro  and  con)  S.  A. 
Thompson,  pro;  H.  G.  Moulton,  con.  3:374,  384.  1924 

Two  Views  on  Coordination  of  Rail  and  Water  Routes  (pro  and  con) 
Hon.  Cleveland  A.  Xewton,  pro;  H.  B.  Cummins,  con.  3:379,  380, 
1924 

Will  Waterway  Development  Solve  Transportation  Problem?  (pro  and 
con)   Hon.  J.  Hampton  Moore,  pro;  C.  H.  Markham,  con.  3:376, 

399,  1924 

E.  Engineering  News-Record 

Baker,  C.  W.,  "What  is  the  Future  of  Inland  Water  Transportation.'" 

84:19-28;  85-89,  137-144-   134-191,  234-242,  1920 
Beach,  Gen.  L.  H.,  "Lower  Mississippi  River  Problems,"  90:752-3,  1923 
Illinois  State  Waterway  for  Barge  Navigation,  85:1095-1098,  1920 
Illinois  Waterway  to  Connect  the  Lakes  and  the  Mississippi,  84:433, 

1920 
New  River-and-Rail  Terminals  on  the  Mississippi,  89:18-20,  1924 


l68  THE  GEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE   ILLINOIS  WATERWAY         [396 

Rail  and  Water  Terminal  for  Nashville,  Tenn.,  86:766,  1921 
Reports  Government  Operation  on  Inland  Waterways,  84:506,  1920 
Ton-mile  Freight  Costs  on  Great  Lakes,  90:595,  1923 
Walsh,  Edward,  "Traffic  and  Prospects  of  New  York  Barge  Canal," 
84:512,  1923 

F.  Journal  of  Political  Economy 

Fischer,  Walter   L.,   '"Waterways   and   our   Transportation    System," 

23:641-662,  1915 
MouLTON,    Harold   G.,   "A    Setback   for   the   Waterways    Movement," 

23:961-970,  1915 
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1914 
Tunell,  George  G.,  "The  Flour  and  Grain  Traffic,"  5:340-375,  1897 

G.  Journal  Western  Society  of  Engineers 

Barnes,  M.  G.,  "The  Waterway  Terminal  Situation  in  Illinois,"  28:404- 

412,  1923 
Brent,  Theodore,  "Inland  Water  Transportation,"  24:359-364,   1919 
Griffenhagen,  E.  O.,  "Water-Borne  Commerce  of  the  Chicago  Region 

and  its  Requirements,"  30:185-203,  1925 
Harris,    E.    T.,    "The    Future    of    Chicago's    Water    Transportation," 

28:402-3,  1923 
Lee,  E.  H.,  "Railway-Borne  Commerce  in  the  Chicago  Region  and  its 

Requirements,"  30:204-210,  1925 
Millis,  Col.  John,  "Water-Borne  Transportation  Inland  and  Marine," 

27:287-293,  1922 
MouLTON,  H.  G.,  "Inland  Water  Transportation,  Discussion,"  24:364- 

371,  1919 
NooNAN,  E.  J.,  "Chicago  Terminal  Situation,"  24:282-306,  1919 
Putnam,  Mahor  R.  W.,  "Chicago's  Need  for  a  Comprehensive  Water 

Terminal  Plan,"  28:413-418,  1922 

,  "Fundamentals  of  Terminal  Building,"  30:177-184,  1925 

Randolph,  Robert  Isham,  "Review  of  Development  of  Chicago  Water- 
ways," 28:395-401,  1925 
ZiNN,   Maj.   George   A.,    "Chicago's   Waterways   in    their   Relation    to 

Transportation,"  17:285,  1912 
U.  Marine  Review 

Bartenfeld,  Wilford  G.,  "Why  not  Use  the  Barge  Canal?"  55:190-191, 

and  219-221,  1925 
Church,  Major  E.  C,  "Weakest  Link  in  Transportation,"   55:50-54, 

1925 
Cities  Improve  Terminal  Facilities  to  Share  in  Benefits  of  River  Traffic, 

53:50-51,  1923 
Gleason,  Gordon  P.,  "Watenvays  Need  New  Terminals,"  52:439-443, 

1922 
Jacobs,  Fred  R.,  "Hurt  by  Government  Competition,"  50:172-3,  1920 


397]  BIBLIOGRAPHY  I69 

/.  Railway  Age 

BiBBiNs,  J.  R.,  '"The  Co-ordination  of  All  Transportation,"  74:801,  1923 
HiNES,  Frank  T.,  "The  Government  and  Inland  Waterways,"  69:1014, 

1920 
Lee,  E.  H.,  "Traffic  Growth  Imposes  Burden  on  the  Chicago  Terminals," 

78:561-3,  1925 
Scott,  Joseph  L.,  "Freight  Handling  with  Trucks,"  79:944-5,  1925 
Some  of  the  Illinois  Central's  Plans  for  the  Chicago  Terminal,  78:736- 

740,  1925 
Summary  of  Freight  Traffic  for  1924,  78:577,  1925 
Survey  of  the  Bus  and  Truck  Situation,  79:1023-1028,  1925 
/.  All  Others 

American  Forestry,  Maxwell,  Hu,  "The  Sawing  and  Transportation  of 

Lumber,"  24:333-342,  1918 
,  Clapp,  Earle   H.,  "Tlie  Long  Haul  from  the  Woods," 

29:259-264,  320,  1923 
American  Geographic  Society,  Bulletin,  Brown,  Robert  M.,  "Review  of 

the  Waterway  Problem,"  43:573-586,   1911 
American  Institute  of  Mining  and  Metallurgical  Engineers,  Trans.,  Ede, 

J.  A.,  "Mineral  Resources   of  the  La   Salle   District,"  63:244-265, 

1920 
,  Ditto,  M.  W.,  "Design  and  Operation  of  Roberts  Coke 

Oven,"  69:485-507,  1923 
Annalist,  Harding,  H.  A.,  "Coal  Mine  Profits,"  20:51-2,  1922 

,  "What  Will  the  Coal  Cost?"  20:101-104,  1922 

Automotive   Industries,   Chapin,    Roy   D.,    "Highway   Transport's    As- 
tounding Growth  Based  upon  Service  to  Public,"  48:1066,  1923 

,  "Possibilities  of  Coordination  Disclosed,"  48:1063-4,  1923 

,  "Two  Thirds  of  Truck  Hauls  are  Less  than  30  Miles," 

49:846-7,  1923 
Blast  Furnace  and  Steel  Plant,  Patterson,  H.  V.,  "Roberts  Ovens  Suc- 
cessfully Coke  Illinois  Coals,"  10:388-393,  1922 
Canadian  Engineer,  Riggs,  Henry   E.,   "Interrelationship  of   Highway, 

Railway  and  Waterway  Transportation,"  38:441-2,  1920 
Christian  Science  Monitor,  Series  of  articles  on  waterways,  Dec.  2,  1924 
Commerce  Monthly,  "Inland  Watenvay  Transportation,"  2,  No.  12,  3-12, 

April,  192 1 

,  "Motor  Transportation,"  2,  No.  8,  3-10,  Dec,  1920 

Country   Gentleman,   Hungerford,   Edward,   "Down   the   Mississippi," 

89:7,  24,  June  21,  1924 
Engineering  and  Contracting,  "The  Illinois  Waterway,"   53:261-2,   1924 
,  Kingman,  Dan  C,  "Decision  of  the  Chief  of  Engineers, 

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170  THE  GEONOMIC   ASPECTS   OF   THE    ILLINOIS   WATERWAY         [398 

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New  York   Times,  "Weeks  Sets  Limits  for  Chicago  Canal,"  March  7, 

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United  States  Daily,  "Army  Engineers  Advise  Improving  Illinois  River," 
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I 


INDEX 


Advantages,  rail  ever  water  transporta- 
tion, 142-144;  of  a  waterway,  144 

Barges,  size  accommodated  by  Illinois 
Waterway,  40;  use,  size,  etc.,  38 

Barnes,  M.  G.,  capacity  of  Illinois  Water- 
way, 86;  rail  rate  ^'5.  water  rate  on 
coal,  107 

Barrett  Line,  138  _ 

Big  Muddy  River,  project  for  improving, 
103 

Boats  on  Mississippi,  138 

Brent,  Theodore,  quoted,  136 

Calhoun  County,  74 

Calumet   Harbor,   terminal   planning   re- 
quired, 60 
Calumet  Harbor  and  River  terminals, 

53-54  ,   .    ^ 

Calumet  River,  iron  and  steel  mdustry, 

54,  55 
Chicago,  advantages  in  rate  makmg,  150; 

coal   market,  72;   freight   handled.    80; 

importance    of    position,    72;    package 

freight,    80;   source   of   grain   received, 

116;  through  freight,  81 
Chicago,  Burlington  and  Quincy  Railroad, 

cost  of  stockyards,  120 
Chicago  By-Products  Coke  Company,  loi 
Chicago  commerce,  55-59 
Chicago  district,  source  of  supply  of  coal, 

95 

Chicago  favored  by  cheap  rates,  149 

Chicago  Harbor,  51 

Chicago,  Peoria,  and  St.  Louis  Railroad, 
permission  for  abandonment  granted, 
82 

Chicago  railroads,  54-55,  76-78 

Chicago  River,  bridges,  28,  51;  current 
in,  27,  28;  dock  frontage,  60;  improve- 
ment,  27;  wharfage,  warehouses,  etc., 

51-53 

Chicago  and  Rock  Island  Railroad,  com- 
petition with  canal,  19 

Chicago  Switching  District,  coal  con- 
sumption, 72 

Chicago's  terminal  problem,  50 

Coal,  breakage  with  handling,  105;  Chi- 
cago greatest  market,  72;  competition 
of  Illinois  with  other  coal,  95-96,  loi; 
importance  of  thickness  of  seams,  91; 
local  markets,  97;  markets  for  Illinois 
product,  94-98 

Coal,  consumption  along  waterway  route, 
96-97;  domestic  consumption,  106;  for 


gas.  icc;  mining  in  Illinois,  90-94;  pro- 
duction in  Franklin  and  Williamson 
counties,  94;  in  Illinois,  89 

Coke,  from  Illinois  coal,  98;  ovens  in  Illi- 
nois, 100 

Commonwealth  Edison  Company,  power 
rights,  153 

Consumption  of  coal  in  Chicago  district, 

94 

Contract  carriers,  138 

Cook  County  manufactures,  72;  popula- 
tion, 72 

Copperas  Creek,  freight,  84 

Des  Plaines  River,  gravel  pits,  in;  lo- 
cation of,  13 

Electric  power  derived  from  coal,  cost  of, 

152 

Electric  rail  lines,  abandoned,  79;  in  Illi- 
nois, 78-79 

Elevator,  constructed  by  M.  P.  R.  Co.  at 
St.  Louis,  115;  facilities  along  Illinois 
River,  119 

Elevators,  built  by  railroads,  114;  of  Cal- 
umet district,  117;  on  Calumet  River, 
54 

Federal  Barge  Line,  137;  active  water 
competition,  149;  express  business,  133; 
financial  statement,  135;  grain  carried, 
116;  imports  carried,  126-127;  PUt  into 
operation,  130;  rail  service  St.  Louis  to 
Cairo  when  river  closed  by  ice,  88; 
joint  rates  with  railroads,  132-133;  ter- 
minal costs,  136;  type  of  service,  131- 

132 
Franklin  County,  increase  in  coal  mined, 

91;  low  sulphur  coal,  91-92 
Freight,  car  loadings,  65;  shortages,  62- 

63;  carried  by  railroads  in  Illinois,  80; 

handled  at  Chicago,  80 

Gallatin,  Albert,  report  of,  13 

Grain,  movement  to  primary  markets, 
114;  rail  and  water  movement  to  New 
Orleans,  133;  trade  diverted  to  Calu- 
met Harbor,  56-57;  transportation  by 
water,  116 

Grain  on  Illinois  Waterway,  117-118 

Granite  City,  coking  plant,  106 

Hoover,  Herbert,  quoted,  137 
I   Ice,  interruption  to  navigation,  88 


175 


176 


THE  CEONOMIC  ASPECTS  OF  THE  ILLINOIS  WATERWAY 


[404 


Illinois,  advantages  for  railroad  building, 
73;  coal  mining,  90-94;  electric  rail 
lines,  78;  freight  carried  by  railroads, 
80;  lumber  freight  costs,  122;  northern 
boundary  fixed,  13;  railroad  distribu- 
tion, 74-78;  railroad  mileage,  73;  rail- 
ways abandoned,  82;  source  of  lumber 
used,  123 

Illinois  Central  Railroad,  constructs  new- 
line,  127;  freight  carried,  80;  tons 
handled,  143 

Illinois  coal,  compared  with  eastern  coal, 
98;  deterioration  in  storage,  107;  as  do- 
mestic fuel,  loi;  for  steam,  loi 

Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal,  Board  of 
Trustees  created,  16;  completed,  16; 
construction  authorized,  15;  dimen- 
sions, locks,  etc.,  16;  economic  import- 
ance, 17;  feeders.  16;  financial  diificul- 
ties,  15;  financial  history,  22;  land 
grants  for,  15;  location  of,  16;  present 
use,  23;  railroad  proposed  as  substitute, 
15;  season  of  navigation,  17;  substitu- 
tion of  shallow  cut  for  lake  fed  canal, 
15;  tolls  reduced,  20;  traffic  commodi- 
ties, 18-19;  traffic  decline,  19-20 

Illinois  and  Mississippi  Canal,  cost,  30; 
location,  dimensions,  locks,  etc.,  29-30; 
purpose  of  construction,  29;  use,  30 

Illinois  River,  commerce,  83;  dams  and 
locks,  17;  Federal  projects  for  improve- 
ment, 34-35;  low  water,  17;  width  of 
valley,  fall,  navigability,  etc.,  16 

Illinois  roads,  79 

Illinois  Traction  System,  coal  carried, 
79;  power  rights,  153 

Illinois  traffic,  71-73 

Illinois  Waterway,  advantages  of,  142; 
favorable  geographic  conditions,  146; 
interruption  by  ice,  87;  livestock  on, 
121;  service  as  main  line,  85;  trans- 
portation of  grain,  117 

Illinois  Waterway  Project,  plans  for,  32- 

.34. 

Illinois  Waterway  Route,  natural  condi- 
tions of,  13;  railroads  of,  83-85 

Imports  carried  on  Mississippi  River, 
126-127 

Inland  Waterways  Corporation  created, 
130-131 

Jones,  Grosvenor  M.,  estimates   cost   of 

hauling  freight,  67 
Jones   and    Laughlin    Steel   Corporation, 

139 

Lake  Michigan,  fluctuations  In  level,  28 
La  Salle  district,  center  of  cement  indus- 
try, 112 


Latin  American  market,  limited,  129 

Lemont  quarries,  113 

Livestock,  earnings  on  Chicago  and 
Northwestern,  120;  exactions  of  trans- 
portation, 120;  transportation  on  C.  R. 
I.  &  P.  R.  R.,  120 

Lumber,  Chicago  consumption,  123; 
freight  costs  Increasing,  122;  length  of 
haul,  121-122;  rail  vs.  water  rates,  126; 
transportation  by  water,  123-125 

Manufactures  on  waterway,  128 

Markets  for  hydro-electric  power  from 
Illinois  Waterway,  153 

Markets  for  Illinois  coal,  94-98 

Marseilles,  interest  in  Waterway,  84 

Milling  in  transit,  125 

Mississippi  River,  characteristics,  136; 
Federal  projects  for  improvement,  35; 
imports  carried,   126-127 

Mississippi-Warrior  Service,  130;  extend- 
ed on  upper  Mississippi,  131;  fleet,  131 

Missouri  River,  water  service,  138 

Motor  truck,  advantages  of,  70;  transfer 
of  package  freight,  69;  use  In  terminal 
areas  recommended,  68;  used  by  New 
York  Central  Railroad,  68;  use  for 
short  haul,  69-71 

Motor  truck  haulage,  distance  profitable, 
69 

Motor  truck  and  water  transportation,  70 

National  Industrial  Conference  Board, 
use  of  terminal  facilities,  66. 

New  York  Barge  Canal,  complaints  of 
congestion,  87 

New  York  Central  Railroad,  use  of  motor 
trucks,  68 

Niagara  limestone,  113 

Ohio  River,  packet  boat  service,  138 

Package  freight  at  Chicago,  73;  of  Chi- 
cago part  carried  by  water,  58;  Chi- 
cago district,  80;  equipment  to  handle, 
69;  on  the  Mississippi,  138 

Packet  boats,  on  Mississippi  and  Illinois 
rivers,  38-39 

Packet  boat  service  on  Ohio  River,  138 

Pekin,  elevator  capacity,  119 

Peoria,  elevator  capacity,  119;  freight 
tonnage,  84;  river  trade,  84 

Pope,  Hon.  Nathaniel,  efforts  In  fixing 
northern  boundary  of  Illinois,  13 

Portland  cement,  production,  etc.,  112 

Prim.ary  grain  markets,  114 

Private  boats,  139 

Railroad  distribution  In  Illinois,  74-78 


405] 


INDEX 


177 


Railroad  mileage,  switching  and  terminal 
roads,  66;  Illinois.  73 

Railroad  rates  and  water  competition, 
148,  149 

Railroad  terminal  costs,  67 

Railroad  terminals,  41 

Railroad  ton-mileage,  66 

Railroads,  Calumet  district,  55;  Chicago, 
76-78;  of  Illinois  Waterway  route, 
83-85;  purchasers  of  coal,  106 

Railways  abandoned  in  Illinois,  82 

Railway  terminal  problem,  importance 
discussed,  67-68 

Rate  zones,  150 

Rates,  factors  affecting,  149 

Richardson,  C.  F.,  cost  of  coal  transporta- 
tion. 107-IC8 

River  Transit  Company  of  St.  Paul  en 
Mississippi  River,  138 

Roberts  coke  oven,  99 

Rock  Island  railroad,  competition  with 
canals,  74 

Sackett,  William  L..  estimate  of  amount 
of  coal  available  for  water  transporta- 
tion, 104-ics;  figured  saving  on  water- 
borne  commerce,  86 

Sag  Channel,  construction,  23;  cost  of 
widening,  29 

Saline  County  coal,  95 

Sand  and  gravel,  Chicago  market,  lie; 
local  supplies  along  Illinois  River,  109- 
lio;  on  waterways,   ic8 

Sanitar>'  Ship  Canal,  commercial  use,  25; 
cost  of  construction,  25;  cost  of  main- 
tenance, 146;  dimensions,  controlling 
works,  etc.,  24;  diversion  of  water 
through,  17;  increase  in  amount  of 
water  diverted  from  Lake  Michigan, 
24;  location,  24;  power  house  con- 
structed,  24;   transportation   of   stone, 

113 

Smith,   Herbert   Knox,   factors   of  water 

terminal,  41 
St.  Louis,  lumber  trade,  125 
St.  Louis  Coke  and  Chemical  Company, 

make  coke  from  Illinois  coal,  99 
Stone     transported     on     Sanitary     Ship 

Canal,  113 
St.  Peter  Sandstone,  source  of  sand  for 

glass,  etc.,  Ill 


Sugar.  Federal  Barge  Line,  133 
Sulphur  in  coal,  91-94 
Summit,  limestone  quarries,  113 

Terminal  costs.  Federal  Barge  Line,  136 
Terminal   elevators,   capacity   owned   by 

railroads,  115 
Terminal  facilities,  needed  along  Illinois 

Waterway,  59 
Terminals  along  Illinois  Waterway,  esti- 
mated cost  of  construction,  147 
Through  freight  at  Chicago,  81 
Traffic  between   Chicago  and  St.  Louis, 

Transit  privileges  for  grain,  115 
Transportation  by  water  and  rail,   rela- 
tive cost,  145-146 
Transshipment  costs  discussed,  42-43 

Utica,  natural  cement,  112 

Wallace,  John  F.,  time  of  cars  at  term- 
inals, 67 

Water  competition,  ruling  by  Interstate 
Commerce  Commission,  148 

Water  craft,  relation  between  cargo  car- 
rier and  waterway  discussed,  37 

Water  power  affected  by  water  diver- 
sion from  Lake  Michigan,  150-151; 
available  by  project,  151;  cost  of  in- 
stallation, 152;  distribution  along  Illi- 
nois Waterw-ay,  151;  of  Illinois  Wa- 
terway project,  150;  revenues  from, 
151-152 

Water  shipment  of  coal,  102 

Water  terminal,  St.  Louis,  44 

Water  terminals,  along  Illinois  Water- 
way, 48-50;  and  nature  of  the  water- 
way, 46;  neglect  of,  41-42;  New  York 
Barge  Canal,  43;  ownership  and  con- 
trol, 47-48;  relations  between  termin- 
als and  traffic,  44-46;  relations  with 
railroads,  54 

Water  transportation  for  marketing  coal, 
90;  profits  discussed,  140-141 

Waterway,  capacity  measured,  87;  rela- 
tion to  Chicago  traffic,  82 

West  Kentucky  Coal  Company  invest- 
ment in  terminals,  105 


ILLINOIS  BIOLOGICAL  MONOGRAPHS 

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'  'H 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 

tKeONOMIC  ASPECTs'oF  the  ILLINOIS  WAT 


